


to shatter a diamond

by hedgehogwatch



Category: EXO (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), SHINee
Genre: Breakup, But not meanie, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Lots of Angst, M/M, My poor babies, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Updates, You Have Been Warned, alternate title: bad things happen to everyone, bear with me, famous!jisoo, i'm sorry but i'm also not sorry, it's gonna be long, junhui is filthy rich, like it just doesn't quit, meanie, minor taohun, model!mingyu, referenced xiuchen, the angst is relentless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-10-15 11:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 31,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10555870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedgehogwatch/pseuds/hedgehogwatch
Summary: A diamond is the hardest mineral. But that doesn't mean it's not breakable.(In which Wonwoo and Mingyu's breakup is only the beginning)





	1. Chapter 1

From: Wonton  
we need to talk.

To: Wonton  
Won??? Talk about what??

From: Wonton  
Look, this isn’t something i want to discuss over text. can you come by my place after work?

To: Wonton  
Ok i guess… won is something wrong?

From: Wonton  
Just tell me if you’re coming over so i know whether to wait up for you or not.

To: Wonton  
Um Is 6 okay?   
Please, wonwoo just tell me if something’s wrong i want to fix it

From: Wonton  
6 is fine. I have to go right now. 

\------------------------

Mingyu nearly lost his grip on his phone as he read the last text from his boyfriend. A bead of cold sweat ran down his neck as he scrambled to piece together what was going on. His brain immediately brought him to the worst possible scenario: Wonwoo was breaking up with him. Yet, the rational part of him remind him of last night, with Wonwoo’s deft fingers carding through his hair, Wonwoo’s dark eyes flickering back and forth from the television screen to his own tired ones, Wonwoo’s strong arms holding him against his steady heartbeat, and Wonwoo’s deep voice whispering ‘I love you’ in his ear when he thought he was asleep. If last night was anything to go by, there was no fathomable reason why Wonwoo would break up with him, Mingyu thought. 

“You okay there?”

Mingyu looked up to see his co-worker Minghao clutching his folded apron against his chest. Minghao’s shift had just ended, he realized, which meant that his break was nearly over (and also meant that he would soon have to put on a friendly attitude in front of his customers). “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for checking, Hao.”

The Chinese man shook his head and smiled sadly. “I know you’re not fine, Mingyu. I mean, you don’t have to tell me what’s wrong if you don’t want, but I can help if you want.” 

Had it been anyone else, Mingyu would have politely dismissed them and insist that everything was alright, but Minghao had a way of calming people’s nerves that Mingyu found to be almost as good as therapy- one of the many reasons he considered him his best friend. Other than Wonwoo, of course, he thought, albeit with significant hesitation. “Okay, you got me,” he groaned, running a hand through his hair. “I just- Ugh. Wonwoo texted me saying we need to talk, and when I asked what was wrong, he said that it wasn’t something he wanted to say over text. I mean, it obviously sounds like,” Mingyu’s breath caught in his throat as he realized what he was about to say, “Like he wants to break up with me.”

Minghao put down his apron and pulled up a chair next to Mingyu at the break room table. He sighed, “I don’t want to lie to you, but that’s usually what it sounds like when someone wants to break up with you. I mean, has he been showing any signs of wanting to break up, like being distant, or irritable, or-”

“No, not at all. Like, last night he invited me to his house to watch movies, and we had a great time. I,” he blinked a few times, the truth of the situation finally hitting him, “He told me he loved me.”

“Man, I don’t know what to say.” Sympathy flooded Minghao’s normally cheerful features. “Uh, maybe he needs to talk about something else. Maybe something happened with his family, or his dog died.”

“He doesn’t have a dog.”

Minghao raised his hands in defeat. “Then I don’t really know what to tell you. But, I mean, if he told you he loved you last night, then I can’t imagine why he would want to break up with you. Just watch, it’s probably nothing, Mingyu.” He sighed and ruffled his friend’s hair. “And if it is, you’re always welcome to crash at my place. Now go get ready. That coffee’s not gonna serve itself.”

“You sound like Seungcheol,” Mingyu laughed half-heartedly, thinking of how much his boss had rubbed off on Minghao. “But thanks. God, I hope you’re right about this being nothing.” He walked over to his locker and threw on his clean black apron. Of course, it would be dirty and soaked in spilled coffee by the end of the shift, but he was thankful for the fact that black hid the majority of stains. The end of my shift, thought Mingyu, memories of Wonwoo’s texts hitting him like a tsunami of fear, anxiety, and the smallest bit of guilt (Mingyu wasn’t sure why). 

To put it simply, Mingyu’s shift was hell. It wasn’t so much the customers or the actual job that bothered him, as much as the feeling of impending doom, exponentially increasing as the time passed. His hands shook with nearly every order to the extent that he had to physically steady himself against the counter to keep the hot drinks from spilling.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wonwoo,” Mingyu called out as he stepped through the door. He was uncharacteristically careful nervous upon entering the apartment that had almost become his second home. 

Wonwoo was sprawled casually on the couch, scrolling through his phone while a soccer match played on TV. Mingyu’s breath hitched as he saw what the older was wearing: a pair of black skinny jeans that slung dangerously low on his hips, a form-fitting red t-shirt, a black blazer, and a pair of white Stan Smith sneakers. “Hey,” he mumbled, eyes never leaving the phone screen. 

“Y-You look good.”

“Thanks. You’ve looked better.”

Mingyu frowned. “No shit! What, do you expect me to just take your cryptic messages, treat them life they’re nothing, finish my shift at work worrying about you every second, then show up at your house looking like a model?”

Wonwoo sighed and turned off his phone. “I’m sorry to worry you, Mingyu.” He straightened his posture and patted the empty space on the sofa, inviting Mingyu to sit next to him. 

The younger quickly took a seat and reached out to rest a hand on Wonwoo’s thigh. He felt his boyfriend’s quadriceps tense up on contact. “You needed to talk to me?” His heart was beating erratically, and his vision was blurred from the tears that threatened to spill any minute. 

“Yeah. I do.” Mingyu was surprised at the gentleness of Wonwoo’s voice, and even more surprised at his fingers lightly brushing against his cheek. “First of all, I want you to know how much you mean to me.”

“Wonwoo…”

A finger pressed to Mingyu’s lips. “Please, Mingyu. Let me finish.” Wonwoo lowered his hand to rest on the other’s shoulder. “The times we spent together have been some of the happiest moments of my life. I can’t imagine my life without you.” His gaze drifted downward as he sighed. “But I’m going to have to end this.”

Mingyu was in shock. So they were breaking up after all. “I- Wonwoo, I don’t understand.” His voice cracked, “What did I do?”

“Baby, you didn’t do anything. Nothing at all. Do you understand me? None of this is your fault.”

“What do you mean, ‘none of this is my fault?’” Mingyu stood up, rage building up inside of him. 

Wonwoo’s eyes narrowed. “Will you quit interrupting me and stop making everything about you?! You want to know why we’re breaking up so bad? Here it is. I got accepted into medical school in Hong Kong, and I’m going. Are you happy now?!”

“Y-You got in…?” Mingyu’s voice faltered. “A-And you didn't tell me? How long did you know?”

“Three weeks.”

“And not once did you bother to, I don't know, tell your boyfriend anything? Maybe tell him that you would rather break up with him than even try at a long-distance relationship? Or that you care more about graduating from a flashy Chinese medical school than staying with your boyfriend?” Mingyu could have kept going on, but he knew everything he was spitting out was a lie. He knew he was being unreasonably selfish, that pursuing a long-distance relationship was pointless, especially on top of the demands of medical school, yet at the same time he felt that Wonwoo deserved to be shaken up. 

“You know what,” Wonwoo snarled, voice uncharacteristically sharp. “Maybe it's a good thing I'm breaking up with you. I didn't realize my boyfriend was such a selfish asshole.”

Mingyu stood there for a few seconds, unblinking. What have I done, he thought to himself. My last moment with Wonwoo, and I've already ruined it. “W-Won… I didn't…”

Wonwoo seemed to be experiencing the same guilt as the tension visibly left his body. “I know you didn't,” he breathed. “And I know this is so hard for you. It's just as hard, if not harder, for me to have to leave you. God, it was so selfish of me to leave you in the dark about all this, but at the time it seemed like the most painless way to do it.”

“I'm not sure what you're talking about.”

“‘Course you don't. When do I ever make sense,” he chuckled to himself. “When I found out I got accepted, the very first thing that crossed my mind was you and the future of our relationship. I thought about staying together. I even thought about taking you with me.” At this point, tears were welling in Wonwoo’s dark eyes. “But I couldn't do that to you. You still have a year left of college, and let's be realistic: long-distance relationships never work. I knew I would have to end this, as much as I hated to do it. So I decided that I wanted our last days together to be spent for what they were, not rushed because we only had three weeks left together.” Wonwoo reached out to touch Mingyu’s cheek. “I wanted our final moments to be genuine. I wanted to be with the Mingyu I fell in love with four years ago, the one who sang in the shower, the one whose shoelaces were always untied… the one who walked with me all the way to the Banpo Bridge at one in the morning and didn't run away when I kissed him.”

“Wonwoo…”

“Mingyu…”

The younger buried his face in Wonwoo’s neck, tears soaking the other’s jacket. In that moment Mingyu realized two things. One, he loved the way Wonwoo smelled, as strange as it sounded. He didn't smell like anything in particular; the best word to describe it would be ‘clean’, like freshly washed clothes and freshly washed hair. Two, Wonwoo’s eyes had a definite power over him. Mingyu knew it was cliché, but he would be lying if he didn't find himself getting lost in those eyes if he stared too long (which happened quite often, in fact). His boyfriend could have broken Mingyu’s heart, and one look at those eyes could have made him come back like a dog to its owner. Witchraft, Mingyu mused. 

“I don't want you to go,” Mingyu gasped between sobs. “I know it's best for you, and I know I should be supportive, but it's- it's just so sudden.” He pulled away from Wonwoo’s embrace and directed his attention to the floor. “Y-You told me you loved me. Is that t-true anymore…”

Something shifted in the older’s posture at Mingyu’s words. “What… When did I…?”

“Last night, Wonwoo. Last night, you whispered ‘I love you’ to me when you thought I was asleep. Only, I wasn’t asleep.”

Wonwoo stood there, his neck stiff and shoulders rigid. “I-I, um. Y-yeah, of course. I, uh, guess I did say that.” Looking back weeks later, Mingyu realized he should have found something disquieting about Wonwoo’s delivery, but he couldn’t think straight in the other’s presence. His brain short circuited every time they were within a ten-foot radius of the other, so obviously there was no way he could have picked up the subtle nuances of human body language when they were standing less than four feet apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry meanie shippers! I know this is sad (and probably a LOT confusing), but it will all work out in the end! At least, I'm hoping so...


	3. Chapter 3

Wonwoo left Mingyu’s life just as quickly as he came. It wasn’t fair, Mingyu thought, that the man could move so freely in and out of situations (and relationships), and that he was cursed to be so easily attached to things that never seemed to stay long enough. He and Wonwoo- mostly Wonwoo- had decided that it was best to keep contact to a minimum to avoid confusion and, consequently, avoid rekindling any feelings that had been put to rest.

It felt strange to wake up without the customary good morning beautiful xx gracing his phone screen. It felt even worse to find a sweater of Wonwoo’s folded in his drawer. It was black and generously-oversized, and Mingyu could vividly remember the circumstances of the night his boyfriend (Mingyu knew ‘boyfriend’ was probably no longer applicable, but he couldn’t manage to say ‘ex’ just yet) wore it. The flashbacks of dark eyes, and dark hair, and strong muscles, and soft lips made Mingyu’s mind race. He was so weak when it came to Wonwoo, his one vice. Most of all, he blamed his addictive tendencies for it. That night when Wonwoo wore that sweater, that was Mingyu’s gateway drug, and with every kiss and every touch afterwards, he got his high. When Wonwoo would leave, he felt the crippling pain and hunger of withdrawal.  
Now that Wonwoo was truly gone, he couldn't survive. Every time he thought of Wonwoo, he wanted to scream and cry, except he didn't have any tears left, and his voice was hoarse to the point where his screams sounded like exactly what they were: the sounds of a wounded animal crying out for help.

************************************************

“Mingyu? Mingyu!” Minghao shouted, frantically knocking on his friend’s apartment door. “Please tell me you're in here!” After a few minutes of yelling and knocking, the he finally decided to see if the door was unlocked. Thankfully (strangely), it was.  
It had been three days straight that Mingyu hadn't shown up to work. At first, Minghao just assumed his co-worker was sick, but then he remembered their last conversation with before he left, when Mingyu had gotten some vague texts from his boyfriend that he had interpreted as a sign that they were breaking up. Optimistic to a fault, Minghao simply brushed those concerns aside. From what it seemed like, Wonwoo and Mingyu were the ‘dream couple’, madly in love with each other (though he had to admit, there were times when he questioned the reciprocality of the relationship, particularly on Wonwoo’s end). They were both incredibly good-looking, as well. If Minghao remembered correctly, Mingyu had told him that Wonwoo was asked to model for the fashion photography students during his junior year. These reasons made it seem highly unlikely to Minghao that they would break up so suddenly, especially if the relationship had been going as well as Mingyu described.

And yet…

Something about the fact that Mingyu, who had not once missed a day of work as far as anyone knew, was nowhere to be found at work on Wednesday made Minghao just a little uncomfortable.

Another day passed, and still no Mingyu.

On Friday, Minghao decided that there must be something seriously wrong. Seungcheol was running around like crazy trying to make up for the lack of staff, and as selfish as it sounded, Minghao missed Mingyu. He missed that carefree smile that showed his unusually pointy canines, he missed giving the other a morning pep talk on those days when Mingyu would rather be anywhere else, and (he didn't dare tell anyone this) he missed that feeling he got when he was around Mingyu. It was that generic warm, fuzzy feeling that everyone describes, and yet it held this undertone of pain, of longing, that felt both bad and good enough to make Minghao crave it.

Carefully, Minghao opened the door, wincing at the loud squeaking made by the hinges. “Mingyu, are you okay? It's me, Minghao. Where have you be-”

He was interrupted by the pitiful sight of his friend, sobbing himself to death on his kitchen floor, clutching a black sweater like a lifeline. Mingyu looked dreadful, all disheveled clothes and unkempt hair. It seemed as though he had been crying in his kitchen for three days straight. “M-Mingyu? What's wrong?”

“Minghao… I- I hoped you wouldn't see me like this.” His voice was hoarse beyond recognition.

Minghao shook his head and crouched down at Mingyu’s side. “We were- I was- worried about you. Three days, Mingyu,” he sighed, holding up three fingers for emphasis. “You were gone for three days, making me worried sick. What the hell happened to you?”

“You were wrong, Hao. Oh my God, you were so wrong! Wonwoo broke up with me, and not only did he break up with me, he left me! He left me all alone! He didn't even care about me! I don't know how I'm going to live any-”

“Shh, Mingyu,” Minghao whispered, reaching out to place a hand on the Korean man’s shoulder. “Why don't we get you cleaned up and fed, then we can talk. You're delirious right now.”

He was taken aback by the tears that began to run down Mingyu’s cheek. “That is the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day, Hao.”

“Pretty sure it's the only thing anyone's said to you all day, but okay.” He helped Mingyu to his feet with a grunt. “Mingyu… Have you bathed, or eaten, or slept these past three days?” A part of him didn’t really want to know the answer.

“Bathed? Once. Eaten? No. Slept? Hell no.”

Minghao groaned. “Dude! Think of what would have happened if I hadn’t come! You’d probably starve to death! At the very least, you’d be super gross.” He sighed, realizing his tone might be a little too harsh. “Come on, Mingyu, I know this is hard. But having a three day pity party for yourself is only going to make things worse. At this point, it’s time to reconnect with the outside world. Hey, you know what? Let’s do something fun! Any ideas?”

“No.”

“Dinner and a movie it is, then. Now let’s go get you halfway decent. It’s gonna be a MingMing night out!”

Mingyu squinted his eyes in confusion. “MingMing?”

“Oh, uh,” Minghao’s cheeks flushed a light pink. “I don’t know, I was just thinking, like Mingyu and Minghao… MingMing…?”

The giggle that escaped Mingyu’s lips made Minghao’s heart flutter. There was that feeling again…

“Alright, Hao. You got me. I’ll go shower and get dressed. Where are we gonna be eating?”

Minghao shrugged. He knew this whole plan sounded eerily “date-like”, so he decided it would probably be best to make everything as casual as possible. After all, they were just friends (unfortunately). “How about burgers? They opened up a new place near the movie theater that looks pretty good.”

“Please, no burgers,” Mingyu shuddered, running a hand through his hair nervously. “Burgers were Wonwoo’s favorite. I don’t want to be reminded of him at all tonight.”

 _Great,_ Minghao scolded himself. _You had one job. He’s probably triggered now._ “Uh, then is pizza ok? There’s another cool pizza place that opened up recently. Wanna check that out?”

Mingyu gave a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, sounds good. Thanks f-for checking up on me. I’m a wreck right now.”

“Don’t sweat it. I would be too, if I was in your position. Let’s just forget about dumb shit tonight and have fun,” Minghao shrugged. He was desperately trying to maintain a cool composure, to not seem as though he was smothering the other (or accidentally reveal his feelings for him), but it was so difficult when Mingyu said things like that.

“Yeah. I’ll be ready in, like, fifteen. TV’s there if you want to watch something until then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo my GyuHao shippers... These next chapters are for you guys! Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

Minghao would be lying if he said his heart didn’t start racing uncontrollably when Mingyu came into the living room. He was just wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, but something about how much happier the other looked made Minghao beam. “You look great, Gyu! Ready to go?”

“You bet,” Mingyu nodded, grabbing his wallet and keys from the counter. “What movie are we seeing?”

“I don’t even know what movies are out right now, to be honest. Really, whatever you want to see is fine. As long as there’s popcorn and soda, I’m good.”

Mingyu walked to the door and opened it for Minghao. “We’ll decide when we get there, then. After you,” he added, holding his hand out in a polite gesture.

\----------------------------

The drive to the pizza place was pleasant enough, the endless string of pop songs on the radio punctuated by the occasional comment from Mingyu regarding the traffic or other inoffensive topics. Minghao was a good driver, usually, but that night, his grip on the steering wheel was unusually tight, white knuckles and all. God, was it hard for him to focus on the road when he had something infinitely more beautiful in the seat next to him.

 _Where is this all coming from? Why am I being so sympathetic? It's not like I was the one left high and dry_ , Minghao asked himself. But deep down, he knew the answer all too well. He was once in a comparable situation. Not just once, at that. There were about six instances when Minghao came home to his boyfriend Junhui in his bed, their bed, holding onto someone else. Minghao knew it was wrong, that he should leave Junhui immediately, but Minghao was terrified. He was so in love with Junhui. He practically worshipped the man. Some part of him thought that maybe Jun would settle down eventually, realize what he had right in front of him, realize that Minghao was good enough for him. But after every time, he started to realize that the possibility of that was growing slimmer and slimmer. Another part of him feared the loss of security that would result from leaving Junhui. Junhui’s father owned a pharmaceutical company, making him one of the wealthiest men in China. Obviously, his son wasn't poor. He gave Minghao all the comforts he never had growing up, reliable living accommodations, good food, nice clothes, a car that actually worked. It wasn't so much the actual material goods that Minghao appreciated, but the fact that someone cared for him, wanted him to have a good life. The worst part was that Minghao knew that Junhui was a good person- it was just his nature to be a player- and those moments when he exposed his caring nature kept Minghao coming back five times.

But the sixth time was enough.

He was running out of pros with which to outweigh the cons, and most of all, he was getting tired. He had given Junhui so many damn chances, but it didn't seem to want to change anything. Minghao couldn't help him with that. The two talked things over, but surprisingly, what hurt the most was how unaffected Jun seemed. Minghao knew the other wasn't much for feelings, but he had hoped to see at least a little sadness on Junhui’s end. If anything, it prompted Minghao to realize how much he needed to end this. They promised to stay friendly at least, keep in contact and whatnot, but Minghao wanted to get away and start anew. Far away. Somewhere like Seoul, where he could blend in amongst the bustle of life and be a nameless face in the crowd.

So he moved to Seoul and took a job as a barista in a small café near the university he would be attending. That was where he met Mingyu three years ago. Mingyu was everything Minghao was not: outgoing, confident, popular, and the attention he gave him left him starstruck. Just like Jun. Except not like Jun at all. Mingyu wasn’t showy, or rude, or shallow. Mingyu was friendly. Mingyu would take the time out to help him with his Korean during their breaks. There was no way he was like Jun.

Over those three years, Minghao always felt a sort of attachment to Mingyu, but he knew how much he loved his boyfriend Wonwoo, and he wouldn't dare interfere with something so precious. But now that Mingyu was free… _Stop it, Minghao. What he needs now is a friend, not a rebound._

“Is this the place?” Mingyu asked, snapping Minghao out of his reverie.

“Yep. Let's check it out.” Minghao parked the car and opened the passenger door for Mingyu. “You good?” He chuckled as the taller man stumbled out of the car seat.  
“Never been better,” Mingyu smiled. He was lying, but it was far better than being alone with his thoughts.

The two of them walked into the restaurant, where they were instantly greeted by the smell of fresh pizza. It was intoxicating. “Man, if this pizza is as good as it smells, it's got to be amazing,” Mingyu commented.

“Definitely.” The interior of the restaurant was modern and industrial, with brick walls, exposed vents, and concrete floors, your standard hipster joint. Then again, they usually had the best food, so neither one could complain.

Mingyu and Minghao quickly took a seat at an empty table for two and began skimming through the menu. “What kind of pizza are you getting?” Mingyu asked, hoping to generate some harmless small talk.  
“Hm. I don't know. Any suggestions?”

“I mean, any pizza is good pizza. We can just share a medium with whatever toppings you want.”

Minghao rested his chin in his hand in thought. “Is pepperoni ok?”

“With extra cheese?” Mingyu smirked, holding up a pair of finger guns at his friend playfully.

The Chinese man laughed. “Yeah, sure. Pepperoni and extra cheese it is.” Minghao placed the order when the waiter came by, winking at Mingyu when it came to the “extra cheese” part.

_Tone it down, lover boy._

Mingyu’s eyes trailed the waiter until he left and was, presumably, out of earshot. “H-hey Minghao?” he stammered, decidedly less confident than his usual self.

“Yeah?” Minghao asked, tilting his head in concern.

“I… I want to thank you for thinking about me. I d-don't know what I would have done if I’d been left alone there,” he sighed. “Wonwoo was my everything. He was so strong, so kind, so loving. I couldn't imagine my life without him. A-and then one day he just tells me that he's leaving to another country the next day without me. How does someone recover from that? The worst part, well maybe it's for the best, but still, the worst part is that he doesn't even want to keep contact with me. It's like he's dead, and I'm left to pick up the pieces and grieve.” His finger began to trace the lines of the fork resting on the table. “I know he didn't want to leave me. And I know he had his reasons for not telling me. Still, it doesn't change the facts or make it any easier to deal with them. But you coming over and wanting to make me happy… That's more than I could ever ask for. Probably more than I deserve. Thank you, Minghao. I mean it.”

“Stop it, Gyu, I’m crying now,” Minghao mumbled into his napkin, which was covering his tear-stained face. “I don't even know what happened between you and Wonwoo, and I won't ask you to spill out the rest of your heart in a hipster pizza restaurant, but I want you to know that I'm always here for you, and I... c-care about you (I love you).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chinaline shippers... this one's not so much for you. Sorry!
> 
> Also, is Mingyu getting over this a little too quickly? 
> 
> You bet he is.
> 
> *grabs breadsticks and runs*


	5. Chapter 5

 

“Hey, why don’t we sit up at the top,” Minghao suggested, pointing to the row of seats in the back of the theater. “It’s the best view.”

 

Mingyu nodded, unable to reply with his mouth full of popcorn. He held the various containers of snacks and drinks tightly and followed Minghao up the illuminated stairs. “I’m right behind you.”

 

Minghao looked back at the taller man, who was nearly toppling over from the amount of food he was carrying. “Oh, uh,” he laughed sheepishly. “Here, let me hold some of that for you.”  _ Okay, you got this, Minghao. Just reach out and pick up the bag. Don’t let his face get you flustered.  _ Hesitantly, he moved to grab one of the popcorn bags, successfully managing to hold it steadily until his elbow hit the large Icee that was in Mingyu’s other hand, causing it to fall forward onto the other’s shirt. “Oh my God, I am so sorry,” Minghao gasped, clutching his face. “I… Uh, let me clean that up.”

 

“No, it’s okay!” Mingyu exclaimed. He turned to see a small group of people gathered behind them, presumably waiting to get to their seats. “I think we’re blocking the way, though. I’ll take care of it once we get seated.” 

 

“O-Okay, I promise I’ll help you clean off your shirt. Or-or we can go get you a new one after the movie,” Minghao squeaked, wincing at the tone of his voice. Suddenly, he realized that Mingyu wasn’t moving. “Oh my God, I’m blocking the way, aren’t I? Ah, I’ll just,” he began to jog frantically up the stairs, stumbling a few times on some of the more poorly-lit steps.  _ Damn it, Minghao! Pull yourself together! _ Finally, he reached the top seats and bent over to catch his breath.

 

He felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Mingyu smiling widely. “Hey, uh, mind scooting down a few seats so there’s room for both of us, plus our food?”

 

“Yeah, yeah! Of course, just let me,” he climbed over the remnants of the last showing’s trash that he assumed the staff didn’t bother to pick up and sat down a few seats over, “Sit dow- OW!” What Minghao failed to realize was that the seats remained in a folded position until they were sat on, meaning he landed not in a chair, but on the hard floor. “ _ Tā mā de _ ,” he whined, slamming the ground with his fists. “Why does the universe hate me?”

 

Mingyu set down the food and rushed to his side. “Minghao, are you okay?” He held the other’s hand and helped him to his feet. “You’ve gotta pull down the seat first,” he chuckled.

 

“That would have been useful to know,” Minghao mumbled under his breath. “I’m okay, just a little banged up.” This time, he made sure to pull the seat down before sitting in it, relieved that he was properly seated now. “There we go,” he sighed.

 

“So are you a big Marvel fan?” Mingyu questioned as he handed the other his popcorn and soda. 

 

Minghao grinned. “Am I? I could recite the entire script of Captain America: The Winter Soldier right now.” He blushed, tripping on his words. “I-I mean, I won’t, obviously. B-but I…” he gave Mingyu an apologetic smile, “I could.”

 

“Really? That’s so cool! I’ve only seen the first and third Captain America movies.” Mingyu shrugged, taking a long sip of his frozen Coke, “Never got around to seeing the second one, I guess.”

 

The Chinese man gasped in disbelief, eyes wide. “But that’s the best one!”

 

“I guess we’ll have to watch it sometime, then.”

 

Minghao’s cheeks flushed at the implication that Mingyu even wanted to spend time with him, let alone the fact that he was interested in seeing The Winter Soldier, the pinnacle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Y-Yeah, definitely!”  _ Chill! You sound like a total loser.  _ “U-uh, about your shirt?” His eyes glanced over at Mingyu’s sweatshirt, which was covered in blue Icee. “You can wear my sweatshirt.”

 

Mingyu blinked a few times before erupting into laughter. “I didn’t peg you as a Jacob Sartorius fan.”

 

“What? No!” Minghao frowned. “If anyone, you’re the fan, if you know the words!”

 

“I’m sorry I’m culturally relevant,” Mingyu scoffed. “But that would be really sweet of you, thanks,” he added with a smile. “Do you have a shirt underneath?”

 

“Yeah, I do.” Minghao grasped the hem of his soft gray sweatshirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. With trembling hands, he gave the sweatshirt to Mingyu. “H-here you go… It, uh,” he stammered, “It might be a little small.”

 

Mingyu placed the balled-up sweatshirt on his lap and removed his own stained one. It took a tremendous amount of restraint for Minghao to look away, but he managed to catch a glimpse of the other’s defined abdominals, causing him to choke on his breath. “Can you maybe not do that?!” Minghao shrieked before covering his mouth in embarrassment.  _ Dear every deity in existence, please smite me now. I await the sweet release of death.  _

 

“W-what?” Mingyu questioned, laughing nervously. Minghao’s expression, however, gave the answer away immediately. The other man was blushing furiously, eyes still focused on Mingyu’s stomach. “Oh…” Mingyu whispered as he quickly put on Minghao’s sweatshirt. “I guess I have that effect on people,” he winked.

 

Minghao swatted the taller man’s chest lightly and pouted. “Shut up,” he mumbled, stuffing his face with popcorn. However, despite the fact that he found Mingyu’s boldness surprisingly attractive, the fact that he was being so flirtatious mere days after Wonwoo left him made Minghao slightly uneasy.  _ He was on the brink of death earlier this evening, and now he’s acting like nothing happened. Don’t be fooled, Xu Minghao. Remember, you’re just here to make him feel better. He’s not in the right frame of mind.  _

 

Thankfully, the lights in the theater began to dim, preventing Mingyu from making any more comments. “Ooh, it’s starting!” Mingyu whispered excitedly as he draped an arm around Minghao’s shoulder. Minghao stiffened, exhaling loudly. 

 

They enjoyed the first half movie in relative peace, aside from the fact that Mingyu seemed to gradually inch closer to Minghao to the point where he was practically pressed up against the other’s side by the end of the first hour. Finally, Minghao sighed, turning to face Mingyu. “What are you doing?”

 

Even in the darkness of the theater, Minghao could see the small smirk on Mingyu’s lips. “I really like you, Minghao,” he whispered, leaning uncomfortably close to the Chinese man.

 

“M-Mingyu,” he stammered, gripping onto the back of his seat for balance. “I d-don’t think this is a good idea. You just… broke up with W-Wonwoo, and I just think it’s too soon-”

 

“I know,” Mingyu breathed. “But the truth is, I’ve liked you for a really long time. F-from the first day we met. If it weren’t for the fact that I was dating Wonwoo, I would have asked you out right then and there.” He bit his lip and turned his head sideways, gaze never leaving Minghao’s. “But now…”

 

Minghao closed his eyes and laid his head on Mingyu’s shoulder, breathing softly. “I think we should wait until you’ve had some time to think about this.” He could envision Mingyu’s sad eyes in his mind. “Look, I-I’m not saying no… I just d-don’t want this to be a hasty decision.”

 

“It’s not!” Mingyu looked around, realizing that he was being too loud. “It’s not,” he repeated in a hushed voice. “What does it matter if I just broke up with Wonwoo? He’s in Hong Kong now, and he probably won’t ever come back. Besides, if he really loved me, or even cared about me, he wouldn’t have left me. So why would I still have feelings for someone like that?”

 

Minghao groaned, lifting his head from Mingyu’s shoulder. “Gyu. When we were at the pizza place, you literally told me how ‘kind and loving’ Wonwoo was. I’m not trying to be shady, I’m just telling you that you need time to heal and get yourself together.  _ I’m  _ not going anywhere…”  _ Hm, okay. That’s funny, Minghao. Didn’t you just say you weren’t being shady? I mean, did you really just say that? God, you are so petty.  _

 

“Minghao, please? I… I need you at a time like this”

 

“You need a friend right now. I’m here, but…” he leaned his head back against the upper edge of the seat, “Dating someone isn’t a spur of the moment thing. I’ve known you for years, Gyu, but I don’t want you to just rush into this.” His eyes locked with Mingyu’s for what felt like years.  _ What’s the problem here, though? He likes you, you like him…? It’s not like he’s some stranger you just met, this is Mingyu. Plus, he’s got a point about Wonwoo. He left him for good. Not like he’s going to show up at his door one day asking Mingyu to get back together with him. _ “I-I… You know I like you.”

 

Mingyu brushed a few stray strands of fringe from Minghao’s forehead and smiled softly. “Hao, I like you too. A lot. I really, really mean it.”

 

“Mingyu…” Minghao whined, “Stop making this so hard for me, I can’t-”  _ Resistance is futile, Minghao! He’s cute! You don’t meet a guy like that every dynasty!  _ “Give it one day. Think about it really hard. And if you still want to go through with this, I’ll be waiting.”

 

“Okay.” Mingyu pressed a light kiss to Minghao’s cheek before directing his attention to the movie once more.

 

Once he was sure that he was out of Mingyu’s sight, Minghao reached his hand up to touch the spot where Mingyu’s lips had graced his cheek and grinned stupidly.  _ You’ve got it so bad for him...            _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! I've just been writing the rest of the story out of order, so I haven't been able to post new stuff until I went back and edited some things... 
> 
> Minghao is adorable. Too pure for this world.
> 
> Also reminder that this isn't beta-d, so there might be a couple typos that managed to elude me. Let me know if there are any glaring mistakes and I'll go back and fix them :)


	6. Chapter 6

 

“So, uh, Mingyu…” Minghao fumbled with his keys behind his back absentmindedly. “Tonight was…”

 

“Nice,” Mingyu finished, nodding gently. 

 

Minghao blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, keys dangling from the other hand. “Y-yeah. I had a great time.” 

 

The taller man’s back was pressed against his apartment door, the dim yellow lighting from the building’s industrial lights casting a soft glow on his features. He looked up at the light fixture, a standard recessed light that he figured must have been white circa 1990, but was now dirty, dingy, and yellow, much like the rest of the apartment complex. Even in the low lighting, however, Mingyu could see the corners of Minghao’s lips turning up in a small smile as he began to laugh quietly. “What, is there something in my hair?” Mingyu chuckled nervously, confused as to what the other could possibly be laughing about.

 

“Oh, uh, sorry,” Minghao stammered. He covered his nose and mouth with his hands in embarrassment. “I wasn’t laughing at you.”

 

Mingyu smiled, finding warmth in the shy sweetness of Minghao’s mannerisms. “Then what were you laughing about? I wanna know now, you can’t just leave me hanging!”

 

Minghao looked down and rocked back on his heels. “It’s nothing, I’m sorry.”

 

“No, really! Can you tell me?” He put on his famous puppy eyes for Minghao, the ones that, despite the Chinese man’s remarkable ability to resist any other of his persuasion tactics, he was certain the other was helpless to. 

 

As expected, Minghao relented. “I was j-just thinking…” He looked up into Mingyu’s eyes and found himself unable to form a coherent sentence anymore.  _ Don’t say something stupid, please Minghao, for the love of God-  _ “Y-you look really good… even under crappy lighting.”  _ Well, shit. That went great.  _ His hands flew to his jeans pockets as he whispered a silent plea for death.  _ I don’t even want to see Mingyu’s reaction to what I just said.  _ “Wow, that came out weird.”

 

“Uh, t-thank you,” Mingyu giggled, tilting his head sideways. “This building is so nasty, I swear. But it beats the dorms, so I’ll take what I can get. It was built in, like, the late eighties, and they haven’t renovated it since then, so there are all these really ugly fixtures and weird color schemes-” He took a deep breath, realizing that he was just rambling at this point out of nervousness. “I… Y-you look good in a-any lighting,” he blurted out thoughtlessly. 

 

At this point, he expected Minghao to run away or politely tell him that he was no longer interested in a potential relationship. What he did not expect was the feeling of Minghao’s lips on his, light and careful, like he was worried that Mingyu would disintegrate if he kissed him any harder. Minghao quickly pulled away and buried his face in his hands, mumbling quietly to himself. “I am so sorry, M-Mingyu. I didn’t… I wasn’t thinking and-”

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Mingyu whispered, mind still racing from the fact that Minghao just kissed him. “I-I really… liked it,” he smiled. “I’ll c-call you tomorrow, ‘kay?”

 

Minghao nodded excitedly. “Y-yeah, no problem. I’ll be,” he shrugged, “At home playing video games or something, so yeah… I’m not busy- uh- I mean, I won’t be busy then. Tomorrow.”

 

“Great. I’ll… I look forward to, um, talking to you.” Mingyu extended an arm sideways to try to give Minghao a side-hug, but Minghao interpreted the gesture as an offering for a handshake, creating a brief moment of unbearable awkwardness between the two before Mingyu finally laughed it off. “Oh, I was going to give you a hug. Er, sorry about that.”

 

“I… Woah, sorry. I thought you were going for a handshake.”  _ Here lies Xu Minghao, a complete idiot. He lived a short, pitiful life, and did little else other than browsing the Internet and watching Vine compilations from 2015.  _ “I guess this is goodbye- I-I meant good night.” He winced, giving Mingyu a sheepish smile.

 

“Good night, Minghao,” Mingyu snorted. “Drive home safely, okay?”

 

Minghao held his hand up in a mock salute and grinned. “Roger that. Bye!”

 

Mingyu felt a strange, new feeling in his chest as he watched the younger man’s figure jog down the hallway towards the parking lot. He had seen Minghao nearly every day of his life, and yet it was as though tonight, he saw the other in a whole new light. There was always an underlying attraction between the two, but the fact that he was dating Wonwoo always prevented Mingyu from acting upon it. But now that Wonwoo was gone, he had the opportunity to fully appreciate Minghao’s sweetness, his quirky sense of humor, and his beautiful brown eyes. He found it so endearing, the way that Minghao, who was perhaps the most casual and nonchalant person he had ever met, became so easily flustered once the possibility of a relationship came into question.  _ I feel so… relaxed around him. Like I’m in love with my best friend… Wait, I guess I-I am in love with my best friend…  _ Mingyu smiled at the realization.  _ It feels… nice. _ “Bye, Minghao,” he chuckled softly to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some painfully awkward gyuhao.
> 
> i love my dorks.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two boys cracking open a cold one.

“Hey, Seokmin. Can I come over right now?”

 

“Yo, Hao! What’s up? ‘Course you can come hang! Want to come crack open a cold one with the boys?” the man on the other line paused for a moment. “Well, it’s just singular ‘boy’ tonight. The boys are going to the Infinite concert, so it’s just me.”

 

Minghao sighed and tapped the steering wheel with his thumb. “Why aren’t you going? I thought you loved Infinite.”

 

“I went to last night’s concert. Plus, someone had to stay and hold down the fort, so I volunteered. Did you need anything? Or did you just want to chill?”

 

“Both,” Minghao shrugged. “I’m on my way, if that’s alright.”

 

“Yeah, no problem! Mi casa es tu casa!”

 

Minghao could practically see Seokmin’s thousand-watt smile from the other side of the phone. “Thanks, bro. Well, I guess this is ‘bye’ until I get there, so… Adios!” he laughed. 

 

***

 

“Ey, there’s my boy!” Seokmin beamed as Minghao entered his apartment door. He raised his can of beer and pointed it to the kitchen. “Cold ones are in the fridge.”

 

Minghao shook his head and walked over to the sofa where the other was sitting. “I’ve gotta drive home tonight, but definitely some other time.”

 

“Minghao?” Seokmin shot him a quizzical look and took a sip of his drink. “It’s pretty late, y’know, and by the time you leave it’ll just be even later. Driving sleep-deprived is pretty much the same as driving drunk. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to hit the roads at all. Why don’t you just stay here for the night?”

 

The Chinese man took a seat next to Seokmin and sank into the couch, resting his arms behind his head. “I would, but all my stuff is at my place.”

 

“I’ve got extra toothbrushes, and we’re pretty much the same size,” Seokmin suggested. “Not trying to persuade you or anything, though. Totally up to you.”

 

Minghao knitted his brows in thought before letting out a long sigh. “I guess so. I’m pretty tired, now that you mention it.”

 

Seokmin nodded and paused the show he was watching, some cheesy romance drama from the 90’s. “Cool. So what brings you here on this hot, humid evening? Boy problems?” he questioned, waggling his eyebrows. 

 

“Yep, that’s it.”

 

“All right, man!” He caught himself, realizing that his expression was probably not appropriate in the given context. “Sorry, I mean  _ aw, man _ . I can’t help myself, I get excited when I get to flex my relationship counselor muscle.” He placed his can of beer on the coffee table in front of him and exhaled. “So, what happened? Spill all the tea.”

 

Minghao placed his hands in his lap and let out a dramatic sigh. “So, there’s this guy…”

 

“Uh, huh,  _ there’s a guy _ ,” Seokmin nodded excitedly.

 

“And I’ve been friends with him for a really long time. We’re, uh, actually coworkers.”

 

Seokmin’s eyes widened to nearly twice their normal size, and he covered his mouth with his hand. “Wait, is this about Mingyu?!”

 

Minghao bit his lip and looked upward. “Yeah…”

 

“But he’s dating Wonwoo, I thought.” Seokmin eyed Minghao suspiciously and clicked his tongue. “Don’t tell me you two are having a secret affair. Cheating is a no-no.”

 

“ _ No,” _ Minghao groaned, throwing his head back. “Wonwoo broke up with Mingyu.”

 

Seokmin gasped loudly and clutched his chest in horror. “What?! But they were, like, the ‘it’ couple! The two hottest guys, like, ever! What could have possibly happened to make them break up?”

 

Minghao raised his hands and shrugged.  _ Maybe Mingyu didn’t realize soon enough that Wonwoo was a complete dick.  _ “Beats me. Can you believe Wonwoo? He literally just left Mingyu! Apparently, he got accepted to some medical school in Hong Kong and didn’t tell Mingyu until the day before he was leaving!”

 

“No...” Seokmin breathed, jaw hanging open. “I was rooting for you, Wonwoo, we were all rooting for you! How dare you?!” He blinked a few times in astonishment. “Wonwoo was always such a nice guy, though. I mean, I only talked to him a couple of times when Mingyu would bring him to parties, but he was so cool! And hot! Why are the hot ones always problematic?”

 

“I’m not problematic,” Minghao pouted.

 

Seokmin snorted and swatted his friend’s shoulder lightly. “Yeah, ‘cause you’re not hot.”

 

“Shut up!”

 

“I’m just kidding,” Seokmin laughed, wrapping an arm around Minghao’s shoulders. “You’re cute! Different than Wonwoo, but not in a bad way. Wonwoo’s looks were like,” he lowered his voice an octave, “ _ I’m going to take you on the kitchen counter. _ And you’re like,” this time he spoke in a small squeaky tone, “ _ Please give me love and affection because I am a small cinnamon roll, too pure for this world. _ ”

 

Minghao scoffed and pulled away from Seokmin’s embrace. “No, I’m the one that’s like, ‘Looks like a cinnamon roll, but could actually kill you.’”

 

Seokmin pursed his lips in thought before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I guess so. You’re a feisty little dude at times. But, woah, that’s so weird that Wonwoo would just leave him like that. Mingyu was sweet!”

 

“I know!” he pressed his hands against his cheeks and ran them down his face. 

 

“Wait…” Seokmin squinted and scanned his eyes up and down Minghao’s body. “Didn’t you always, like, have a crush on Mingyu? Wow… you swooped in fast, spicy boy! Isn’t it… kind of soon, though? How long ago did Wonwoo and Mingyu break up?”

 

Minghao’s cheeks reddened, and he averted his eyes. “Like, three days ago.”

 

“Three days ago?! Honey, you’ve got to let the boy heal before you go straight for the booty!” He patted Minghao’s shoulder gently. “I mean, you do you, but Mingyu’s probably not even over Wonwoo yet. Hate to break it to you…”

 

“Ugh, God, Seokmin! Don’t you think I realize that!” Minghao buried his head in his hands and let out a frustrated grunt. “Look, this is what happened.” He sat back up and leaned into the sofa’s armrest. “The day that Mingyu and Wonwoo broke up, Mingyu told me that Wonwoo had texted him saying that they ‘needed to talk’, and of course, Mingyu thought that Wonwoo was breaking up with him. But I was kinda skeptical about that because, like you said, they were the golden couple. I just assumed something else had happened and Wonwoo was just being dramatic about it. Obviously, I was wrong, but back to the story. So the next day, Mingyu didn’t show up at work, and I thought maybe he was sick or something. But then he wasn’t there the day after, either, and he still wasn’t back today. I don’t think Mingyu had ever missed work before then, so I figured something was kind of sketchy. Plus, he didn’t even let me or Seungcheol know about it. That’s why I decided to go to his house and check on him after work today.”

 

Seokmin grabbed his beer again and took a long sip. “Uh huh. And what was he doing when you got there?”

 

“He was balled up on the floor crying his eyes out and, like, clinging onto Wonwoo’s old sweater!”

 

“Poor thing, oh my God.”

 

Minghao nodded. “And so I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that Wonwoo left him. Then, I asked if he had eaten or slept or done anything besides cry, and he said no. So I decided that it would probably be best if I took him out to do something fun that would get his mind off things and reintroduce him to civilization. Long story short, we went out for pizza and a movie, and during the movie, he started, like being flirty with me. I mean, I wasn’t complaining, but I was thinking the same think you were, like, ‘Wow, this is way too soon.’ And then-”

 

“And then?!” Seokmin asked with bated breath.

 

“He confessed to me that he liked me. He told me that he had had feelings for me for a long time, but he couldn’t do anything about it because, hello,  _ Wonwoo _ …” he drawled, giving Seokmin a knowing glance. “But now that Wonwoo’s out of the picture…”

 

Seokmin rested his chin on his hands and started out into space. “I don’t know, man… Like, Wonwoo’s not going to come back from Hong Kong one random day and come snatch up Mingyu again, but at the same time, I know that it takes time for people to get over someone they love, especially when Mingyu was still in love with Wonwoo when he left. I’m sure Mingyu’s not trying to lead you on or anything, but he probably doesn’t even know what he’s feeling right now.”  He turned his attention to Minghao again, and he could tell that from his pained expression that the other knew that all too well. “Look, Hao,” Seokmin relented, “If you really think he seems sincere about it, and you’re sure that you’re ready for it, then there’s no real reason you two shouldn’t get together. Just… be careful, yeah?”

 

“Yeah.” Minghao fidgeted with the rubber band around his wrist nervously. “It’s like… If there’s a prize for rotten judgement, I guess I’ve already won that. No man is worth the aggravation. That’s ancient history, been there, done that...”

 

Seokmin instantly began to sing, and Minghao would have protested were it not for the fact that his friend actually had an amazing voice. “ _ Who’d you think you’re kidding? He’s the Earth and heaven to you. Try to keep it hidden, honey we can see right through you _ -”

 

Minghao raised a hand to stop him. “This,” he gestured vaguely, “Is not happening. Sorry, I got carried away.”

 

“I feel you. You just can’t resist  _ Hercules.  _ Such a good movie…” he smiled nostalgically. 

 

“Ugh, but what I’m trying to say is… I think I’m in love with him! I mean, I am in love with him!” Minghao clenched his fists. “But-”

 

“But then you shouldn’t be afraid. I knew you liked him, but if you  _ love _ him, then you should go for it.” Seokmin was surprisingly serious, actually sounding like a real relationship counselor for once. “Be careful, but go for it.”

 

Minghao tugged at his shirt collar and looked away. “Well…”

 

“ _ Well? _ ”

 

“I kinda already went for it…” He sighed, “I kissed him.”

 

Seokmin gasped dramatically and grabbed the other’s shoulders, shaking him frantically. “WHAT? You kissed him?!”

 

“Well, it wasn’t a big kiss or anything, just a really small one before I dropped him off back at his place.”

 

“Still!” Seokmin was beaming as he threw his arms around Minghao’s neck excitedly. “That’s so  _ bold _ ! I didn’t think you had it in you!”

 

Minghao chuckled, “You underestimate me…”

 

“I’m really happy for you and Mingyu! You two do seem like a cute couple. You know, I think you’ll be alright. Just try to be sensitive with him right now, and I’m sure everything will will work out fine.”

 

“You really think so?” Minghao asked apprehensively. 

 

Seokmin pumped a fist in the air confidently. “I know so! Did you ask him out or did you just kiss him?”

 

 

“I told him to take a day to think about it, then call me when he’s made his decision. I really, really wanted it to be a thoroughly thought-out decision on his end, and on mine, too.”

 

“That’s a good idea.” Seokmin winked at Minghao. “I’m sure he’ll say yes. He’s obviously really into you! Plus, if anything happens, you’ve got me as your personal counselor. I’ll even give you a discount.”

 

Minghao gasped in horror, “It’s not free? Oh, how the lure of capitalism has corrupted you…”

 

“A man’s gotta make a living somehow,” Seokmin chuckled. “So, what do you say I pull out the Wii and we duke it out in Smash Bros Brawl, just to prove you’re a  _ real man _ .”

 

Minghao narrowed his eyes and adopted a fighting stance. “It’s on like Donkey Kong. I call Snake!”

 

“Pfft, Kirby and I will crush you.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and now for wonwoo's point of view...

Wonwoo squeezed through the aisle of the plane, lost in a sea of passengers scurrying around, arguing about seat location, and complaining that people were holding up the line.  _ Boy, I love flying… _ He looked down at his ticket then back at the row of seats in front of him.

 

“Are you looking for seat 24 E?”

 

He turned to see a little girl, no older than six, he assumed, looking up at him with large brown eyes. “Um, actually I am,” Wonwoo smiled, a little taken aback by the fact that she correctly guessed his seat number. “Do you know where it is?”

 

“Right here.” She pointed to the vacant window seat in the row. “You’re lucky,” she giggled, “Window seats are the best.”

 

Wonwoo nodded as he put his carryon bags in the overhead compartment, being careful not to disturb the elderly woman sleeping in the aisle seat of the row. “Would you like the window seat, then? I know the middle seat is uncomfortable sometimes.”

 

The girl shook her head and clutched her fluffy yellow backpack to her chest. “No, it’s fine.”

 

“Okay, then,” Wonwoo said as he took his seat. 

 

As soon as he sat down, the girl outstretched her little hand confidently. “I’m Jung Seulbi. I’m going to be six in November. What’s your name?”

 

Wonwoo couldn’t help but laugh softly at Seulbi’s straightforward attitude. He reminisced about when he was six and could barely look anyone in the eye, not even his family members. He barely spoke when he was little, answering questions with hesitant nods of the head or barely audible one-word replies. It was almost funny to Wonwoo how outgoing Seulbi was, especially at such a young age. “I’m Jeon Wonwoo. It’s nice to meet you.” He grasped her hand in a firm handshake before settling back in his seat. However, one little detail bothered him. Unless the woman at the end of the row was her grandmother, Seulbi didn’t seem to have any family with her. “Are you flying alone, Seulbi?”

 

“No, my family is in the row in front of us.” She pointed to the back of the seats where, presumably, her family was sitting. “In my family, it’s me, my mommy, my daddy, and my little brother Jinwoo. But there are only three seats in a row so one of us has to sit alone.” Seulbi gave Wonwoo a bright grin that made her eyes form tiny crescents. “I like to meet new people, so I wanted to sit by myself… Are you single?”

 

That question caught Wonwoo completely off guard, causing him to choke on his breath. “Uh, yes, I am now.” He paused for a moment before adding a quiet, “ _ Thankfully. _ ”

 

Seulgi frowned. “Was your girlfriend mean to you?”

 

He debated over whether to correct her, but ultimately decided to let it go. “Yeah…” he murmured, circling his right hand around his left wrist subconsciously.  _ Why do I always do that when I think about him? _

 

“Why? You’re really nice!”

 

Wonwoo’s reply was cut off by an announcement over the plane’s intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Choi Yuna, and I’m your chief flight attendant. On behalf of captain Park Chanyeol and the entire crew, welcome aboard Korean Air flight 87, nonstop service from Seoul to Hong Kong. Our flight time will be three hours and fifty minutes. We will be flying at an altitude of 39,000 feet at a ground speed of 161 miles per hour. At this time, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in the full upright position and that your seat belt is correctly fastened. All portable electronic devices must be set to airplane mode until an announcement is made upon arrival. Thank you.”

 

She then went on to demonstrate emergency safety procedures and identify the exit locations, which Wonwoo tuned out for the most part. He scoffed to himself, knowing that the last thing he would do should the plane crash is stay calm. Seulbi didn’t seem particularly captivated by the speech either, too occupied by her Nintendo DS to pay attention to the flight attendant. “Sweetheart,” Wonwoo whispered, “You should probably turn that off right now. I don’t think you can use your DS during takeoff, but you can play with it again once we reach a certain height.”

 

“Oh.” Seulbi looked distraught as she slowly closed her DS. She stared up at Wonwoo with teary eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

 

“Aw, I’m not upset,” Wonwoo said, realizing that he should be more careful with his wording when dealing with small children. “It’ll only be a couple minutes, then you can turn it on again.” When he looked back at Seulbi, she was still on the verge of tears, cradling the gaming device as though it had just died in her arms.  _ Think, Wonwoo. Say something to make her feel better.  _ “What game were you playing?”

 

That seemed to do the trick, as Seulbi’s expression brightened slightly. “Animal Crossing,” she mumbled. “It’s my favorite.”

 

Wonwoo smiled fondly as he remembered his ardent obsession with that game when he was about Seulbi’s age. “You know, I used to play the first Animal Crossing on the Gamecube when I was little.”

 

“Really?” she gasped. “Which did you like more, fishing or catching bugs?”

 

“Fishing, definitely.”

 

Seulbi giggled excitedly. “Me too!” She planted her elbows on the armrest of Wonwoo’s seat and beamed. “We’re going on vacation to Hong Kong. Are you going on vacation, too?”

 

“I’m... moving to Hong Kong, actually. I’m going to school there to become a doctor.” He tried his best to put on a friendly face, as much as he wished the girl hadn’t mentioned the topic. 

 

Thankfully, Seulbi didn’t pry any further into the matter. “I think you’ll be a good doctor,” she smiled. 

 

Wonwoo returned her smile before resting his head on the plane’s window and plugging in his earbuds. The plane was beginning to slowly leave the terminal, meaning they were about to take off.  _ Goodbye, Seoul _ , he sighed to himself.  _ I won’t miss you… _ “Hey Seulbi, if you need anything, just tap my shoulder. I’m going to try to take a short nap, but don’t be scared to wake me up if you want to.”

 

“When can I turn my DS back on?” she asked quietly. 

 

“Once the captain says we’ve reached cruising altitude.”

 

Seulbi nodded slowly, trying to grasp the phrase. “ _ Cruising… altitude, _ ” she repeated.

 

Wonwoo closed his eyes and inserted his earbuds in his ears, pressing the button on the right wire to play his music. But before he could get comfortable, he felt a light tap on his forearm. He pulled out one of his earbuds and turned to Seulbi. “Do you need something, sweetie?”

“Can I listen?”

 

“Sure,” Wonwoo laughed. “I don’t know if you’ll like it, though. It’s kind of old.” He carefully placed the other earbud in Seulbi’s ear, making sure it was in securely. 

 

She bobbed her head softly to the beat of the drums, making Wonwoo’s heart melt in a way he had never experienced before. “What’s it called?” she questioned.

 

“Mr. Brightside by The Killers. I can change the song if you want.”

 

Seulbi shook her head. “No, I like it. You can go back to sleep now. I’m sorry.”

 

Wonwoo smiled gently and pressed his body against the cabin wall once more. Within minutes, he had fallen into a heavy, dreamless sleep, finally feeling like he was free to relax for the first time in his life. 

 

***

“Mr. Wonwoo,” whispered a small voice in his ear. “Mr. Wonwoo!”

 

Wonwoo jerked awake, accidentally hitting his head on the window and trying with all his might to refrain from cursing in front of Seulbi. “Y-yeah?” he breathed.

 

“Y-you were crying, Mr. Wonwoo…” She looked distressed, to say the least, seemingly conflicted between waking Wonwoo up and letting him cry. Wonwoo reached up to feel his face, which was, unsurprisingly wet with tears. He opened his mouth to form an apology, but Seulbi piped up before he had the chance. “Are you scared?” she asked in a hushed tone, studying Wonwoo’s expressions carefully.

 

“Of what?” Wonwoo choked as he held a hand over his chest. He realized that his heartbeat was speeding up significantly and that his breathing was growing shallow.  _ Deep breaths. Deep breaths. _

 

Seulbi hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.

 

Wonwoo inhaled deeply, shuddering as he exhaled. “Yeah… I am scared.”

 

The girl just nodded and bent down to pick up her backpack. She rummaged through the bag for a few moments before pulling out a small stuffed animal. “This is Eddy. When I was five, I would hold him when I got scared. But now I’ve got Ryan the Bear. He was an early birthday present.” Seulbi handed Eddy to Wonwoo, which he gently placed on his lap. “You can have Eddy. So you can have a friend in Hong Kong.”

 

“A-are you sure?” Wonwoo held the stuffed animal in his arms, a soft yellow fox wearing blue denim overalls and circular glasses. He stifled a laugh at the fact that it almost reminded him of himself, in a strange way. “He’s adorable.”

 

Seulbi nodded and adjusted Wonwoo’s arms so that he was holding Eddy to his chest. “You hold him like that. Make sure to give him lots of love and attention! You should know how to take care of animals, since you played Animal Crossing.” Her tone was authoritative and firm, an amusing contrast to her small stature and cute features. 

 

“Pinky promise,” Wonwoo affirmed, offering his pinky for Seulbi to link with his. Seulbi quickly returned the gesture before pointing at Wonwoo’s phone on his lap. 

 

“Can you play some quiet music? I think I’m going to take a nap.” Seulbi leaned her head against Wonwoo’s side without any hesitation and fluttered her eyes closed. Wonwoo hummed lightly then opened his phone, scrolling through his ‘quiet music’ playlist and finally settling on “No Surprises” by Radiohead. 

 

A small smile played across Wonwoo’s lips at the sound of Seulgi’s soft snores. He swallowed thickly, trying not to cry again in public, but the thought that he was finally  _ gone _ , finally  _ free _ , as liberating as it sounded in theory, was equally terrifying.  _ It’s better than if you stayed… Who knows what he would have done to you…? _

 

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” Wonwoo separated himself from his thoughts and turned his head to see a tall, middle-aged woman standing in the aisle in front of his row. “I’m Jung Mina. That’s my daughter, Seulbi. She must think you’re comfortable,” she laughed, before giving Wonwoo an apologetic look. “I really do apologize for any trouble she’s caused. Seulbi is very… outgoing.”

 

Wonwoo shook his head and gestured to the little girl sleeping at his side. “Seulbi’s no trouble at all. It was nice having someone to talk to.” He bowed his head slightly. “My name is Jeon Wonwoo.”

 

“Jeon Wonwoo,” Mrs. Jung repeated to herself. “You’re very handsome, Jeon Wonwoo,” she nodded, smiling warmly. “Like a younger Joo Ji Hoon.”

 

Wonwoo’s cheeks flushed slightly at the comment, knowing fully well that his looks were nothing compared the famous actor’s, not when he had dark circles under his eyes from countless sleepless nights, chapped lips from nervous lip-biting, and a general aura of ‘death’ emanating from him that he hadn’t been able to shake off since he decided to leave Seoul.  _ You made the right decision, Wonwoo. You’re finally free. _ “Uh, thank you, ma’am. That’s very nice of you to think that.” Wonwoo pointed to Eddy, who was snug in the crook of his arm. “Seulbi said I could keep him as a companion when I move to Hong Kong, but I wanted to make sure that it’s okay with you. I wouldn’t want to take anything with sentimental value.”

 

“Wow, she gave Eddy to you? She must really like you, then! Seulbi is normally so protective of him.” Mrs. Jung gave a small shrug. “You’re more than welcome to have him, if you’d like. Are you really moving to Hong Kong?”

 

Wonwoo inclined his head. “Yes. I’m going to medical school there.”

 

“That’s wonderful. Your parents must be so proud!”

 

A small sigh escaped Wonwoo’s lips as his eyes began to lose focus and stare off into space. “ _ Yeah… _ ”

 

“Well, I’m going to find one of the flight attendants and see if I can get something for my son Jinwoo to snack on. I’ve never seen someone with an appetite like his,” she laughed. “It was nice to meet you, Wonwoo. Thank you for being so sweet to my Seulbi.”

 

“It was nice to meet you, too. I’m glad I could help.” Wonwoo’s shoulders dropped as soon as Mrs. Jung left, and he laid his head back against the seat. _I’m supposed to be relieved… Why do I still feel like he’s watching me?_ _Why do I even feel guilty for leaving?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> enter jun.

“Well, well. I’m assuming you’re Jeon Wonwoo… If you’re not, then would you be interested in being my roommate, handsome?” 

 

Wonwoo blushed slightly and set his suitcase down so that he could offer a hand for the other man to shake. “I-I’m Wonwoo. And you’re Wen Junhui?” The man leaning against the apartment’s door frame was tall and lanky, just barely shorter than Wonwoo, but equally built. His face was strikingly handsome, soft, almost dainty features, contrasting with his sharp brown eyes. 

 

“That would be me.” A small smirk crept across Junhui’s face, causing the ends of his lips to turn up slightly. Wonwoo couldn’t help but notice how soft and delicate his lips were, how perfectly shaped they were, just like the rest of his face.  _ Stop it right there… You’re not ready to go down that road, not for a long time. _ Wonwoo met Junhui’s eyes through lowered lashes, blush deepening at the sight of the other’s mischievous grin. “Like what you see, Wonwoo?” he chuckled.

 

Wonwoo’s fingers played nervously with the cuffs of his sweater. “Uh, no. I-I mean, I’m not trying to say that you’re...” He racked his brain for the right word, his Cantonese adequate, but still stiff. “Not… pretty…”

 

“You mean  _ chǒulòu _ ? Ugly?” Wonwoo nodded, clearly embarrassed. “Don’t worry,” Junhui laughed gently. “I was just teasing you. Want me to help you with your suitcase?” He didn’t give Wonwoo time to answer either way before he picked up the other’s luggage and opened the door more widely for Wonwoo to enter. Junhui followed behind the Korean man and placed the suitcase in the foyer, next to the door.

 

Tentatively, Wonwoo stepped into the living room, craning his neck to capture every detail of the space. The room was exquisitely decorated in a unique blend of traditional and contemporary styles, with antique French chairs and sofas upholstered in stunning red velvet, ornate mirrors and chandeliers, and elaborate Turkish rugs juxtaposed with modern minimalist art, sleek marble floors, and wall-to-wall glass windows. 

 

Junhui watched Wonwoo marvel at his furnishings, noticing how timid the other’s posture was, as though he felt he wasn’t allowed to be there. Strangely enough, he found it sweet, the childlike look in Wonwoo’s dark eyes as he looked around in wonder. But what caught Junhui’s attention more immediately was the mysterious allure that Wonwoo radiated (and the way his legs looked in those skinny jeans).  _ Tall, dark, and handsome… Just my type. _ “What do you think? Is it to your liking?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“It’s… It’s beautiful,” Wonwoo breathed, turning around to face Junhui. “Y-you live here?”

 

“What, do I not look like the type of person that lives in a nice place?” Junhui chuckled and crossed his arms. “That’s no way to treat your new roommate, you know."

 

Wonwoo looked like a deer in headlights. He raised his hands protectively, like he was scared that Junhui would attack him. “I’m so, so sorry, I-I didn’t mean it like that! I was just-”

 

“Relax, Wonwoo. I’m only kidding.” Junhui patted Wonwoo’s shoulder reassuringly and gestured to the large sofa near the center of the living room. “Why don’t you take a seat, and we can chat for a little bit.” He shrugged. “To get to know each other better.”

 

The taller man nodded and walked towards the velvet sofa. “C-can I sit here?” he asked politely.

 

“You can sit wherever you’d like. This is your house, too.” Junhui took a seat in one of the Louis XVI chairs opposite the sofa Wonwoo was sitting in. He rested an elbow on one of the chair’s armrests and propped his head up on his hand. “So,  _ Jeon Wonwoo _ ,” he drawled. “Tell me about yourself.”

 

Wonwoo looked down at his hands in his lap. “What do you want to know?”

 

“Hmm,” Junhui tapped a finger to his chin in thought. “So you’re going to University of Hong Kong for medical school, huh? You want to be a doctor, then?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Junhui pursed his lips, hoping for a little more out of the other’s response. “Why do you want to be a doctor?”

 

Wonwoo shifted uncomfortably, angling away from Junhui’s gaze slightly. “M-my parents were… They were both doctors.” His voice was even quieter than usual, making Junhui wonder if he had touched a sensitive subject.

 

Junhui decided it was best to drop that line of conversation and start a new one.  _ Why don’t I shake him up, break the ice a little?  _ “So are you a top or a bottom?” he grinned devilishly, enjoying every bit of Wonwoo’s shocked reaction.

 

“E-excuse me?” he gasped.

 

“Like when you’re having sex. Are you a top or a bottom?”

 

Wonwoo’s cheeks were a bright red as he wrung his hands uncomfortably. “U-um… I-I… Well…”

 

Junhui chuckled playfully and gave Wonwoo a toothy smile. “You don’t have to answer. I’m sorry, I’ve got a weird sense of humor-”

 

“I’m a top.”

 

There were a few moments of silence between the two before Junhui burst out laughing. He bent over, nearly falling out of his chair. “There we go!” he exclaimed, wiping a few tears from his eyes. “So you can talk after all, huh? And you’ve got a sense of humor of your own, I see.”

 

Wonwoo shrugged, a microscopic smirk on his lips. “I’m full of surprises,” he hummed sarcastically. A sudden boldness overtook Wonwoo, and he leaned into the sofa, raising his chin slightly. “And what about you? Top or bottom?”

 

“I’m whatever my lucky partner wants me to be,” he winked suggestively. “Now that we’ve got  _ that _ squared away, let’s get to the real questions.” Junhui clasped his hands together and held them to his chest. “So, do you feel comfortable speaking Cantonese? Or would you rather speak Korean?”

 

“Definitely Korean. I mean, I can get by in Cantonese, but it’s still difficult.”

 

Junhui smiled. “Well, lucky for you, I speak Korean. My parents’ company has a division in Seoul, and they thought it would be useful for me to learn Korean, since they just assumed I would take over the business someday.” He scoffed bitterly. “Obviously that didn’t go as planned, but I guess learning Korean wasn’t a total waste after all.” He began again in Korean. “Is this better?”

 

“Much better,” Wonwoo agreed. “So if you’re not running you family’s company, then what do you do?” He waved his hand towards the chandelier overhead. “Clearly you do well for yourself.” Suddenly, Wonwoo’s expression darkened fear apparent in his eyes. “A-are you a drug dealer…?” he whispered.

 

Junhui blinked. “If I was a drug dealer, do you think I would admit to being a drug dealer?”

 

Wonwoo sighed in defeat. “I guess not.”

 

“Don’t worry, Wonwoo. I’m not a drug dealer…  _ Currently _ ,” he snickered. “I have a ten percent share in the business, plus whatever’s loaded up in the trust fund, so basically I get paid just to exist. So, I guess you can say I don’t really  _ do _ anything, job-wise, but I do have a passion for interior design. Sometimes I’ll get a commission here and there. Actually, I designed this entire apartment myself.”

 

Wonwoo let out a soft sound of amazement and allowed his gaze to wander around the room once more. “You did all this yourself? Why don’t you do it professionally? You definitely have the talent.”

 

The smile on Junhui’s face was visibly forced, an expression Wonwoo knew all too well. “I just don’t really have the ambition anymore.” He quickly changed the subject, reverting back to his slick persona. “And you? What’s your secret passion? Like, if you weren’t going to be a doctor, what would you really want to be?”

 

“A soccer player.”

 

“Oh, really?” Junhui questioned with wide eyes. “Let me guess, you were the pride and joy of your hometown’s high school soccer team, eh?”

 

Wonwoo smiled proudly. “High school and college. First freshman to be voted team captain. I got offers from Jeonbuk FC and Jeju United to join their U-20 teams,” he exhaled, smile fading, “But, y’know, professional sports can be a risky business. And my family wanted another doctor to the Jeon family name, so I had to decline.”

 

“So that means you’re pretty ripped under that big sweater of yours, huh?” Junhui smirked.

 

“I guess,” Wonwoo supposed. “I’m still pretty skinny, though.” He bit his lip and closed his eyes, knowing that he needed to address the most pressing detail of their arrangement sooner rather than later. “So, Junhui,” he said, straightening his posture. “Can we discuss the rent situation? You said that we would figure out a price once I got here, and, well… I’m here.”

 

Junhui opened his mouth, then closed it again, realizing that the time had finally come to have this dreaded conversation. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “About that…” He reclined in his chair and folded his hands, resting them under the tip of his nose. “I won’t lie to you. There’s a very specific reason I asked to discuss this in person. You see, I’m not looking for a roommate because I need extra income or anything. I…” He breathed deeply, trying to figure out the best way to phrase it, “I’m looking for someone to sleep with me.”

 

Wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows in equal parts confusion and anger. “Junhui? You never mentioned that to me. Not once. You conveniently showed me all the benefits of the arrangement, with the nice apartment and everything, and made me come all the way to Hong Kong just so you could casually slip in and say ‘Oh yeah, I’m not looking for a roommate, I’m looking for someone to have sex with.’ Look, if that’s the case, then I’m not interested.”

 

“No, Wonwoo,” Junhui murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You don’t understand. By ‘sleep with me’, I don’t mean ‘have sex with me.’” He looked down at the rug on the floor, wishing he could pass the whole thing off with a snarky comment or charming smile, but he could tell what Wonwoo wasn’t one to be won over easily. “I mean…  _ sleep  _ with me. Like lay down in the same bad as me and literally sleep.”

 

The Korean man still looked unconvinced, eyes narrowed in frustration. “W-why do you need someone to sleep with you? Do you have some kind of weird… I don’t know, problem?”

 

Junhui hesitated for a moment, coming to terms with the fact that he would have to spill some decidedly personal details if he was to give Wonwoo a proper explanation of his situation. “Growing up, I was always left alone, never wanted or needed.” His mouth was running faster than his brain could process that he was venturing into dangerous territory. “My parents were always busy working or traveling, so I was constantly handed over to nannies and babysitters and tutors to keep me busy. Even on the rare occasion when my parents were home, they’d just brush me aside and tell me to go away. I…” his voice broke, “I was never... loved.”

 

“Junhui…” Wonwoo whispered, mostly to himself. He looked at Junhui with concerned eyes. “I-I’m sure your parents loved you… I mean… They’re your parents.”

 

Junhui shook his head, giving Wonwoo a sad smile. “My parents didn’t want a child. They wanted an  _ heir _ , someone to ensure that the company’s money remained in the Wen family. I was pretty much just a tool.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “But it’s… whatever. It’s just that… all those years of being neglected left me very lonely, understandably, and as I got older, it just escalated to the point where I get really bad anxiety when I’m by myself.” His eyes darted down to his feet in shame. “Especially at night… That’s why I was looking for someone to keep me company, I guess.” He didn’t want to see Wonwoo’s reaction, afraid that the other would either pity him or be disgusted. “L-look, if you still feel uncomfortable about this, I understand. I’ll even help you find a new place.” Junhui drew in a deep breath. “But if you do decide to stay, I won’t charge you rent.”

 

“Is that a bribe?” Wonwoo questioned, a hint of playfulness in his eye.

 

Junhui was more than happy to play along, finding comfort in light hearted banter. “Maybe,” he smirked. “I’ll even take you out to dinner.”

 

Wonwoo smiled faintly and ran a hand through his effortlessly windswept brown hair. “I… I’ll do it. I’ll stay with you. I, uh,” he exhaled, “I’m kind of going through a tough time of my own, and I get what it feels like to be used… That’s a conversation for another time, though.”

 

“Yeah, Taehyung did tell me that things were kind of rough for you right now,” Junhui confessed. “I’m glad he asked you about being my roommate, though. I think we’ll get along well. He said lots of good things about you.” He tilted his head and pursed his lips. “So how exactly do you know Taehyung?”

 

“He’s best friends with my cousin Jungkook. I hang out with his group of friends all the time… Well, used to, at least.” Wonwoo bit the inside of his cheek. “I guess I won’t be seeing much of them anymore…. How do you know Taehyung?”

 

Junhui smiled fondly. “His brother is friends with my cousin Heechul. It’s a bit of a distant connection, but we’re actually pretty close. I try to stop by and say hello whenever I visit Seoul.” 

 

“That’s nice,” Wonwoo nodded. “I’ll make sure to thank him for setting this whole thing up. So,” he laughed, “You had mentioned something about dinner?”

 

“I did, didn’t I?” Junhui ran his tongue across his lips idly. “Where would you like to go?”

 

Wonwoo closed one eye and thought deeply about his dinner options for a moment. “Why don’t we just get something delivered here, if you don’t mind? I’m kind of tired from the plane ride.”

 

“Whatever you want, Wonwoo. I’m not picky.” Junhui stood up from his chair and stretched, yawning loudly. “Would you like a tour of the apartment first?” 

 

Wonwoo stood up as well and straightened out the wrinkles in his sweater. “That would be great.”

 

Every inch of Junhui’s penthouse was more beautiful than the next, top of the line finishings and glittering accessories captivating Wonwoo’s attention. Junhui couldn’t resist the quiet charm that flowed through each of Wonwoo’s movements, from his deep, raspy voice to his courteous mannerisms. He would be lying if he said that, despite his objective beauty, Wonwoo seemed cold and unfriendly at first glance, but it made it all the more endearing once he realized how gentle the man actually was. Wonwoo would stop every now and then to inquire about a piece of artwork or praise Junhui’s design choices, bringing a smile to Junuhi’s lips each time.

 

“And this is my bedroom.” Junhui said as he gestured towards the luxurious California king-sized bed. Like the living room, the bed was covered in a red velvet duvet cover and matching pillows, embroidered with gold details around the edges. 

 

“Wow… It’s like you’re a prince or something,” Wonwoo gasped, looking up at the massive crystal chandelier overhead. “Are you sure I’m allowed to sleep here?”

 

Junhui sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hand along the red velvet in a large, sweeping motion. “Of course you are.” He patted the spot next to him for Wonwoo to sit down. “I wanna ask you something, Wonwoo.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Junhui felt the words he had prepared leaving his mind as he stared into Wonwoo’s eyes. They were undeniably beautiful, but completely unreadable, even after he thought the other had opened up. He noticed the purplish rings underneath his eyes, dark enough that Junhui thought it wouldn’t be unreasonable to deduce that Wonwoo suffered from insomnia or was under severe stress.  _ What secrets are you hiding, Wonwoo?  _ “I want to make sure this,” he waved his hand between the two of them, “Is okay with you.”

 

“It’s… a little strange,” Wonwoo sighed, “But I… I think I trust you.”

 

“No, I was talking about the bed. Is it too firm? I have a pillowtop thing that I can put on top if you’d like it to be a little softer. I just always like to have a firm mattress to keep my back supported.” Jun gave Wonwoo a wink before laying down and sprawling over the bed. “You know, we never even got to the good questions earlier. I don’t even know what your favorite food is.”

 

Wonwoo turned on his side, facing Junhui, and rested his head on his hand. “Hm, I’m not even sure if I know the answer to that myself. But I guess I’d say steak. Medium rare.”

 

“Then would you like to order steak tonight?” Junhui asked. 

 

“I would love that.”

 

Junhui nodded his head. “Okay… So what’s your favorite song?”

 

“‘Semi-Charmed Life’ by Third Eye Blind.”

 

“A true nineties kid, I see,” Junhui chuckled. “Mine’s ‘Kiss Land’ by The Weeknd.”

 

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow and made a soft noise of surprise. “Really? I love that song. What’s your favorite movie?”

 

“Don’t tell anyone this,” Junhui whispered, motioning for Wonwoo to come closer, “But it’s  _ Perks of Being a Wallflower _ . If anyone asks, it’s  _ Wolf of Wall Street _ , okay?” he requested, tone almost threatening. “And your favorite movie?”

 

“ _ Pacific Rim _ .”

 

“Huh, I could have sworn you were going to say  _ The Notebook.  _ You strike me as a romance movie type of guy.”

 

Wonwoo smiled, “Like I said… Full of surprises. Can I ask you one more question?”

 

Junhui nodded, placing his hand on his hip. “Hit me.”

 

“When are we going to order dinner? I’m starving.”

 

“Taehyung didn’t tell me you were impatient,” Junhui mumbled, earning a light slap on his arm from Wonwoo. “Sorry, sorry,” he laughed. “He didn’t tell me you were violent, either… I’ll go look online for some good steak places to order from right now. In the meantime, can I get you a drink? You look worn out.”

 

Wonwoo let out a sound that was a strange cross between a yawn and a groan. “Tell me about it. Haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in years. What do you have?”

 

“I’ve got everything,” Junhui grinned.

 

“Can I get a whiskey on the rocks, then?”

 

Junhui smirked, placing his free hand under his chin. “ _ Full of surprises _ ,” he chuckled. “You’re a pretty manly guy under that fuzzy sweater, am I right?”

 

“I don’t know,” Wonwoo shrugged. “I guess.”

 

Junhui moved his hand from his chin to the top of Wonwoo’s head and messed up his hair. “Much less ‘boyfriend material’, and much more ‘model material’, though. Cold and unapproachable.”

 

“Hey, I’m not cold or unapproachable. I mean, I’m kind of quiet, and I look like I’m dead the majority of the time, but I’m nice enough.” He narrowed his eyes and looked at Junhui unsurely. “Right?”

 

“You’re sweet, Wonwoo,” Junhui smiled. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the universe is testing wonwoo

six months later

 

Wonwoo groaned as he buttoned up his navy dress shirt, tongue poking out in concentration as he studied his reflection in the mirror. “Remind me again why I have to get all dressed up on a Saturday, when I should be wearing my Batman boxers and sweatpants.”

 

“My best friend Jeonghan is in town and wanted to drop by,” Jun said, spraying a suffocating amount of cologne on his neck.

 

The heavy scent of the cologne quickly spread through the entire room, causing Wonwoo to cough. “But why do we have to look so nice? If this guy can’t appreciate me when I’m wearing my worst, then he doesn’t deserve me at my best,” he choked.

 

Junhui held up a long golden chain with a single diamond drop pendant and held it against his shirt, lips pursed as he debated whether or not it was necessary. “Jeonghan is the editor of Vogue Korea. Fashion is his life. There is no way in hell I’m letting you even bring your Batman boxers anywhere near him.” From the reflection in the mirror, he could see a sly grin spread across Wonwoo’s face, which was never a good sign. “Oh, for the love of God, don’t tell me-”

 

“I’m wearing them right now.” Wonwoo said proudly as he pulled up the waistband above his pants for proof, showing several small Batman logos printed on a yellow band. “Not like he’s gonna see or anything.”

 

Junhui’s eyes widened just slightly. “Put that away right now. I don’t want to see that.” He rubbed his face with his hands, partly in exasperation, but mostly to hide the faint blush that began to spread across his cheeks. “Why can’t you be a real man like me and get yourself some Calvin Klein or Supreme boxers?”

 

“I have Calvin Klein _and_ Supreme boxers. I just like the Batman ones better.”

 

“They make you look like a twelve year old boy,” Junhui scoffed. Quickly, he unbuttoned his black jeans and pulled them down to show his Gucci boxers, snapping the waistband for emphasis. “ _These_ make you look like a man,” he smirked.

 

Wonwoo flung his hands over his eyes and cried out in mock pain. “My eyes! Shit, I think I’m blind now!” He stumbled around the room, covering his eyes, and nearly knocked Junhui over. “I had such a great life ahead of me, and now it’s ruined! I’ll never see another sunset, or the beach-”

 

“Shut your mouth,” Junhui sighed, prying Wonwoo’s hands from his face. “Just please either change your boxers or pull them down enough so Jeonghan doesn’t think I’m living with a total dweeb.” He flicked Wonwoo’s forearm and laughed, “I mean, I am. I just don’t want someone like Jeonghan to know that.”

 

Wonwoo huffed as he rubbed his arm where he had been flicked. “You make him seem so intimidating. Is he mean, or like, judgemental?”

 

“No,” Junhui shrugged, biting his lip in thought, “Not really. He’s very sweet and generous. But he’s a little…” he squinted, as if the right words were somewhere to be found in the room, “Set in his ways. Like, if you’re on his good side, he’s an angel sent from above. If you’re not,” he pointed at Wonwoo threateningly, “Which you better not be, he can be more than a little unpleasant.”

 

“Sounds like a really great guy,” Wonwoo said sarcastically as he pushed his boxers lower down his hips and pulled his pants higher.

 

Junhui clicked his tongue. “Just don’t screw up the first impression and you’ll be fine. I won’t let him bite you.” Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and leaned close to his roommate. “Unless you’re into that.”

 

Wonwoo raised his hands in surrender, a playful smile on his lips. “Guilty as charged. Yep, you totally got me.”

 

“Pretty sure Jeonghan’s actually into that, so I can tell you two will get along just fine,” Junhui snorted, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth.

 

***

 

The sound of the doorbell ringing sent shivers through Wonwoo’s spine. _Why are you so worked up about this guy? He’s probably really nice and you’re worrying over nothing._ “I really hope that’s the pizza guy,” Wonwoo sighed.

 

Junhui rolled his eyes and walked towards the front door. “Oh, come on. Just be nice.”

 

Wonwoo made sure to let out an exaggerated groan as he stood up from the sofa and followed Junhui to greet their guest. _Be cool, Wonwoo. Be cool._

 

Junhui opened the door to reveal a tall young man who looked like he had just descended from heaven. He was immaculately dressed in a pastel yellow sweater, layered on top of a crisp white button-down, and ankle-length jeans, and his long blonde hair was tied back loosely in a ponytail, allowing a few shorter strands to frame his elegant face. Wonwoo was surprised to see how gentle Jeonghan looked; he had been expecting a cold-looking, standoffish fashionista, not the soft-featured angel at his doorstep. “Hi Junnie,” Jeonghan smiled, showing off his gleaming teeth. Immediately, Junhui wrapped him in a tight hug, earning a small squeak from Jeonghan.

 

“I missed you,” Junhui mumbled into Jeonghan’s hair.

 

Jeonghan pulled away and placed his hands on Junhui’s shoulders, still beaming. “I missed you, too. Thank you for having me.”

 

“No problem,” Junhui nodded. He stepped aside and gestured towards Wonwoo, who had been standing there nervously throughout the entire exchange. “This is my roommate. He’s Korean, too.”

 

Jeonghan quickly picked up on Wonwoo’s shyness and gently took the taller man’s pale hand in his own. “So you’re the famous Wong Woo,” he said, looking up into Wonwoo’s eyes. As sweet as his actions were, Wonwoo couldn’t shake the feeling that he was watching and judging every move he made. “I’m Yoon Jeonghan.”

 

“Actually, it’s Wonwoo. Jeon Wonwoo,” he corrected, voice trembling just slightly.

 

“Well that’s just as nice of a name.” Jeonghan scanned Wonwoo’s body up and down, trying to be as subtle as possible about it. “It’s nice to meet you, _Wonwoo_ ,” he said as he quickly recovered his polite smile and pulled his hand away.

 

 _Damn it, you should have just gone along with Wong Woo._ Wonwoo caught his lower lip between his teeth and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “C-can I get you some coffee or tea?”

 

“Some coffee would be nice. Four creams, twelve sugars, please.”

 

It took all the effort in Wonwoo’s body to refrain from gaping. ‘ _Would you like a prescription for diabetes medication along with that?’_ he wanted to ask, but he knew he was already walking a thin line between Jeonghan’s good and bad sides. “Sure,” Wonwoo replied awkwardly, giving the blonde-haired man a forced smile before dashing over to hide in the kitchen and make Jeonghan his coffee-flavored sugar milk.

 

“He’s... something,” Junhui chuckled fondly as he slung an arm around Jeonghan’s shoulder and directed him to the sofa.

 

Jeonghan only let out a small sound of affirmation, giving Junhui a side-eyed look that screamed ‘We need to talk.’ “You’ve redecorated,” he said stiffly as he took a seat next to Junhui.

 

The Chinese man frowned at Jeonghan’s sudden change in demeanor, not sure what could have possibly set him off. “What’s wrong with you?” he whispered lowly so Wonwoo wouldn’t overhear.

 

“We’ll talk about this later, Junhui. I don’t want Wong Woo-”

 

“Wonwoo.”

 

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “ _Wonwoo_ ,” he sighed. “To be suspicious.”

 

“Suspicious about what?” Junhui narrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. “Do you have a problem with him? Are you jealous or something-”

 

The look Jeonghan shot him was enough to stop him in his tracks. “ _I said_ ,” he spat, still in a hushed voice, “We’ll talk about this later.”

 

Junhui was about to throw a heated retort back at him, but he quickly had to change his expression as Wonwoo walked in.

 

“I have your coffee, Jeonghan.” As soon as he neared the sofa, Jeonghan plastered himself to Junhui’s side and flashed Wonwoo a bright, yet slightly unnerving smile.

 

“Thank you,” he hummed nonchalantly, leaning his head to rest on Junhui’s shoulder. “You can just set it on the table. I don’t drink hot coffee.”

 

 _The fuck do you mean, you ‘don’t drink hot coffee?’_ Wonwoo drew his lips together in a thin line and inhaled deeply, silently praying for the strength to stay decent and not spill the scalding coffee all over Jeonghan’s pretty face. “Would you like me to put ice in it, then?” he asked with an incredibly forced smile.

 

Jeonghan glanced back up at Wonwoo and blinked incredulously. “That will just water it down.”

 

“Then can I refrigerate it for you?” he choked, on the verge of ripping Jeonghan’s hair out.

 

“I don’t see what the problem is, Wonwoo. I said you can just set it there, and I’ll drink it when it cools off,” Jeonghan snapped.

 

Wonwoo smacked his lips, making sure to raise his eyebrows just enough to communicate his irritation. “Alright,” he exhaled, setting the cup on the table and walking over to sit in one of the chairs on the other side of the room. He wanted to be as far away from Jeonghan as possible, both for his sanity and for Jeonghan’s safety.

 

Junhui bit the inside of his cheek and gave Jeonghan a questioning look, which was immediately shut down by the blonde man. “Right, so-”

 

“Wonwoo, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself,” Jeonghan interrupted, giving Wonwoo a predatory grin, “Junnie’s only told me bits and pieces, so I’m curious. You seem like a very interesting person.”

 

Junhui moved just slightly away from Jeonghan and gestured towards Wonwoo. “Wonwoo is a medical student at University of Hong Kong. He’s really, incredibly smart, and such a hard worker. He even finished top of his class this year. But he’s just as good of a roommate and friend. Plus, he can cook-”

 

Jeonghan held up a hand to silence Junhui, and rested his chin on the other hand, still staring Wonwoo down. “I think Wonwoo can speak for himself,” he turned his head to glare at the man next to him, “Don’t you, Junhui?”

 

“Right…” Junhui muttered under his breath.

 

Wonwoo took a deep breath and placed his hands on his lap, nails digging into his thighs. _Junhui can speak, too._ “I, uh… Jun was right, I’m a med student. I moved here from Seoul about a year ago, and a mutual friend had told me that Junhui was looking for a roommate, so I took up the offer. It’s been great living here, both in Hong Kong and with Jun. He’s a big help, since he speaks both Korean and Cantonese, and he’s always willing to help me study for my exams.”

 

“Mm, fascinating,” Jeonghan said, face completely uninterested. He sat up straight and tilted his head towards Junhui. “Do you mind if I borrow Junnie for a second? We won’t be long.”

 

 _‘Junnie?’_ “Take as long as you’d like. There’s no rush.” Wonwoo waved a hand dismissively and stood up. “I’ll be in _Jun’s_ bedroom, should you need me,” he added curtly.

 

Jeonghan shook his head. “No, you stay here. We’ll be in _Junnie’s_ room. You look quite comfortable there. I wouldn’t want to make you have to get up.”

 

“How considerate,” Wonwoo whispered, pulling out his phone from his pocket and slouching against the back of the chair.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> feelings are hard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo! just a warning, there are mentions of panic attacks- just putting that out there.
> 
> thanks so much for all the love & support <3\. i love reading all of your comments. keep 'em coming!

Junhui slammed the door behind him and lunged forward at Jeonghan. “What the hell is going on?! Why are you being so awful to Wonwoo? What did he do?”

Jeonghan shushed him, waving a hand in front of Junhui’s face. The last thing he wanted was for Wonwoo to overhear them. “I should ask you what’s going on. I told you to get a roommate, not a boyfriend!”

“Wonwoo is not my boyfriend!” Junhui said, a mix of anger and confusion on his features. “Why would you assume-”

“The way you look at him,” Jeonghan sighed, “Is the same way you used to look at Minghao.”

Junhui narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists in frustration. “Will you leave Minghao out of this?”

“Junhui! I can’t just sit here and watch a repeat of Minghao all over again. I can’t let you do that to yourself.” He lowered his voice and looked at Junhui with serious, yet somber eyes. “Do you even remember that you almost killed yourself? If I hadn’t been there-”

“I know!” Junhui shouted. The sound of his voice echoed through the room for a few seconds, hanging in the air like smoke. “I know,” he repeated in a whisper. “But I’m not dating Wonwoo. He’s just my roommate.”

Jeonghan placed a hand on Junhui’s forearm and rubbed it soothingly, giving him that concerned expression he seemed to have permanently etched on his face whenever he talked to Junhui these days. “You like him, Junnie.”

“Yeah, of course I like him. He’s a good friend-”

“You have feelings for him! I know you do! Anyone would be blind to not see it!”

Junhui raised his hands and shook his head, not wanting to argue with Jeonghan anymore. “Even if I do, which I don’t, what’s the problem? I know not to do him wrong like Minghao. I’ve learned my lesson. Do you not trust me?”

“It’s still too soon for you to go through another traumatic breakup. It’s not good for your mental or physical health, given the ways you deal with stress.”

“I’ve gotten better since Wonwoo came,” Junhui said defensively. “And who says that if we break up, it’ll be traumatic? You and I are still best friends.”

Jeonghan pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing deeply. “That’s because we grew up together, Junnie. I’ve known you since before I could walk. Wonwoo, on the other hand, doesn’t know a thing about you! He doesn’t know how severe your anxiety can get, he doesn’t know why you’re so afraid of being left alone, he doesn’t know the extent of your drinking problems-”

“That’s enough!”

“Because you won’t tell him! Sure, you might share a few details here and there, but you’re just too proud to let him think poorly of you! One of these days he’s going to dig up the dirty details of your past, and he’s going to leave, and you’ll get stuck in that same spiral of drinking, and depression, and you just don’t have the strength for that right now!” Jeonghan pleaded.

As much as Jeonghan’s words rang true, he couldn’t bear to be proven wrong. “So you’re basically saying I should never date anyone, right?” he asked in an accusatory manner.

“I’m saying that it’s too soon!” Jeonghan cried out. “Just take some time to find yourself! It’s hard to believe that you’re really doing better when I can see the empty vodka bottle under the bed!”

“Stop it-”

“You need to figure out your problems before you dump them on someone like Wonwoo or Minghao!” Jeonghan said, tears glistening in his eyes. “They can’t take it, I can’t take it, and most importantly, you can’t take it.” He reached up to brush his fingers across Junhui’s cheek and tucked a stray strand of black hair behind his ear. “I care a lot about you, Junnie. All I want is to see you happy and healthy again. But I think it’s in your best interest if you take some time to find healing before you dive headfirst into another relationship. If not mine, then think about Wonwoo’s feelings. Date him when you’re better.”

Junhui closed his eyes, appreciating even the slightest bit of genuine physical affection. It had been months, perhaps even years since he had been touched so gently. “I…” he exhaled, “I’ll do my best to keep my feelings to myself. You’re right.” The corners of his lips turned up mischievously. “But I still think you’re just jealous.”

Jeonghan swatted the back of his hand at Junhui’s shoulder playfully, a pout settling on his lips. “As great as it was when we dated, I’ll be completely honest when I tell you that I much prefer us as just friends.”

Junhui snaked his arms around Jeonghan’s neck and pulled him close so that their foreheads were touching. “Yeah?” he chuckled as he pressed his lips against Jeonghan’s.

***

Wonwoo threw his head back in aggravation as the ‘10 percent battery remaining’ notification flashed across his phone screen. “Great, this means I’ve gotta go on a wild goose chase for the only charger in the house,” he grumbled to himself. With a loud groan, he flopped out of the chair and began to walk upstairs, hoping that Junhui would know where the precious charger was. _Damn it, he’s still in there with Jeonghan._ For a second, he considered just letting it die and watching some TV downstairs instead, but a part of him wanted to interrupt whatever they were talking about, if only to alert them of his existence.

He continued up the stairs and walked down the hallway towards their shared bedroom, thinking of the perfect thing to say when he walked _in. ‘Hey, I’m not dead by the way!’ or maybe, ‘Remember me? The guy whose name isn’t Wong Woo?” How about, ‘Yo, I live here, too, and I have the right to be wherever I want to because this is my house.’_ However, he stopped himself as soon as he heard what sounded like Jeonghan’s moans coming from his bedroom. The bedroom door was opened just slightly enough that Wonwoo could see Junhui’s fingers combing through Jeonghan’s hair, and Jeonghan’s hands resting on Junhui’s hips. From what it looked like, they were just kissing, but it made Wonwoo want to cry, or, vomit, or maybe both, once he saw the tenderness in each of their movements, but morbid curiosity kept him frozen in place.

It wasn’t the first time he had seen Junhui with another person, but all of those times, it had been a drunk stranger from a club. On those nights, Wonwoo slept in the guest bedroom, where the only reminders of someone else’s presence were the occasional screams from across the hall. This was different, though. The sounds he heard were blissful sighs and honey-coated whispers, not cries of passion. Never before had he seen Junhui so gentle, and deep down he wished he could shower some of that affection on someone more worthy of it than Jeonghan.

Suddenly, the two pulled away, and Jeonghan nuzzled his head in Junhui’s neck. Wonwoo could hear him mumble something along the lines of ‘Wonwoo’s here,’ and despite how badly he wanted to barge in on whatever was going on between them, he realized he didn’t want to be caught staring either.

Junhui straightened the wrinkles in his shirt with the palms of his hands and opened the door more widely, leaning against the doorframe as if nothing happened. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I need the phone charger,” Wonwoo said, a little more gruffly than he’d expected.

Junhui shrugged, “I don’t know where it is. Check by the nightstand or something.”

Wonwoo hesitated for a second before slipping inside the bedroom and making his way to the edge of the bed. Jeonghan was just standing there awkwardly, face flushed and lips swollen. His eyes darted back and forth from Wonwoo to the floor before he finally blurted out, “It’s behind the chair over there.”

The younger man turned his head slowly to face Jeonghan, brows knit in confusion. “Thank… you?” he said as he walked over to said chair. Before he could step much further, though, Jeonghan grasped him by the wrist with a light, but strong grip.

“Wonwoo, wait,” he breathed, meeting the other’s dark eyes uncertainly. “I’m… I’m sorry. I was rude and unfriendly, and I-”

“It’s fine,” Wonwoo replied coldly.

Jeonghan knew exactly what he was doing, however, and tightened his hold on Wonwoo’s wrist. “Please, Wonwoo. I really want to apologize. I was upset about some things, and I let my anger out on you. That was completely wrong of me.” He placed a tentative hand on Wonwoo’s bicep and looked him in the eye with more confidence. “I’m sorry.”

 _You’re only apologizing because you just made out with Jun, and you don’t want him to be mad at you for hating me._ “Like I said, it’s _fine_.” Wonwoo pulled his arm free from Jeonghan’s grip and bent down to pull the charger out of the wall socket. “I’ll be downstairs. Sorry to bother you two.”

“Actually, I’ll be heading out, too. I have a meeting with the editors of Vogue China in half an hour, so I should be going.” He tugged at the collar of his sweater nervously and waved at Junhui and Wonwoo. “It was good to see you, Junnie. And nice to meet you as well, Wonwoo. I hope we can all see each other again next time I’m in town.”

Junhui pulled Jeonghan in for a hug and rubbed his back for what Wonwoo thought was a little too long. “Call me, yeah? Good luck with your meeting.”

“Thank you,” Jeonghan smiled as he stepped back and nodded in Wonwoo’s direction. “Best of luck in school. You’ll do great, I’m sure of it.”

Wonwoo only nodded back and watched as Jeonghan hurried out of the bedroom and down the stairs, closing the front door quietly.

“He was trying to apologize, Wonwoo,” Junhui said, arms crossed authoritatively. “You could have at least accepted it.”

“I’m sorry,” Wonwoo frowned, “But it’s kind of hard for me to be forgiving when he was so rude to me. ‘I don’t drink hot coffee,’” he mocked, impersonating Jeonghan’s soft voice. “‘I love you, Junnie. Let’s get away from Wonwoo so we can be alone.’”

As playful as he normally was, Junhui didn’t find the humor in that. “Don’t make fun of Jeonghan like that. You have no idea what he was feeling that made him lash out. It would be different if he didn’t apologize, but he did. And here you are mocking him.”

“So you’re defending him just because he made out with you?” Wonwoo asked, putting his hands on his hips. “You really are that easy, huh,” he scoffed, turning his back on Junhui.

“You don’t know anything about Jeonghan!”

“And you don’t know anything about me!” Wonwoo screamed as he slammed the door behind him.

The force from the door shook the floor and chandelier, the tinkling sounds of crystals filling the room. Junhui stood there dumbfounded, not expecting Wonwoo to react like that in the slightest. He wanted to yell something back at Wonwoo, but couldn’t think of anything to say. _Over-dramatic son of a bitch! Thinks he can just storm out like he’s in some teen drama?_

He clenched his fists and pursed his lips, trying his hardest to resist the urge to follow him. “I’m not gonna follow you, Wonwoo!” he called. “You just watch!” Slowly, though, his resolve wavered as thoughts came to mind of how Wonwoo must have been feeling. The sudden outburst, uncharacteristically forward behavior, and the fact that Wonwoo walked in on him kissing Jeonghan caused Junhui to wonder whether it was a good time to leave Wonwoo alone, especially given his history.

Before Wonwoo finally came, Taehyung had reminded him over and over about Wonwoo’s anxiety and panic attacks due to some unspecified ‘really stressful experiences’ he had undergone in the past year, and he told Junhui to try to avoid fighting with him as much as possible. ‘The poor guy just needs a break, Jun. Don’t give him any more crap to deal with,’ Taehyung had said. “Shit, I’m coming, Wonwoo!” he yelled, running out of the room.

He wasn’t sure where Wonwoo could be, but since he had said earlier that he was going to go downstairs, Junhui figured that would be a good place to check. Memories of Wonwoo’s first panic attacks flashed through his mind, Wonwoo’s sweat-slicked hair surrounding his head on the floor like a black halo, his pale skin burning to the touch, and his glassy eyes darting back and forth.

Once Junhui finally reached the downstairs living room, he realized that the current situation wasn’t much different. Wonwoo was huddled in the corner of the room, soft sobs escaping his lips. Junhui found himself wanting to cry just from looking at the other so vulnerable. In the past few months they had lived together, Wonwoo had become so much more than a roommate; he had warmed Junhui’s heart with his sweet smile, infectious laugh, and ridiculous jokes, and Junhui admired Wonwoo’s strength and perseverance in his studies. But most of all, Junhui saw in Wonwoo what he could have been had he not wasted his life so young- successful, smart, kind, and full of opportunities. And to see him so weak at the moment sent shivers down his spine. “Wonwoo, are you okay?” he said, bending down so that they were at eye level.

“D-don’t talk to me,” Wonwoo hissed, a dazed look in his eyes.

“Please don’t do this,” Junhui begged as he reached out to touch Wonwoo’s shoulder.

His attempt to calm Wonwoo was promptly shut down by a weak hit to the arm. “Go away, Jun.” Wonwoo’s voice was hoarse and shaky, like it was draining all of his energy to speak.

Junhui wasn’t about to let his feelings get in the way of Wonwoo’s care, though, and he still brought his hand to rest on the younger’s shoulder, letting out a long-held breath as he felt Wonwoo’s muscles relax. “Do you need me to get your medicine?”

“I t-took it... already.”

“Then do you want me to stay here with you?” Junhui asked quietly.

It took nearly a minute for Wonwoo to break down his pride and finally relent. _You_ _need_ _someone to be there for you right now_. _It doesn’t matter who._ Reluctantly, he rested his head on Junhui’s shoulder and lightly held his hand. “Yeah,” he murmured.

Junhui breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled Wonwoo closer against his chest and began stroking his hair. “I was out of line, Wonwoo. And I’m sure you must have been confused about my relationship with Jeonghan.” He could feel Wonwoo’s unsteady heartbeat quicken at the mention of Jeonghan, and instantly he knew that he was right. “Jeonghan and I have been friends since we were very young,” he began, hoping to provide some distraction for Wonwoo. “We grew up together, pretty much, and he was always there for me when my parents weren’t. Now that I think about it, he was almost like my brother. Over the years, as things progressed, we just figured that it would be a natural thing to try dating each other, and I mean, it was nice, but a little awkward, you know? Like dating your brother, I guess,” he chuckled lightly. “So we decided it was best to just be friends.”

_Just do it. Open up for once. Maybe he’ll trust you with his secrets if you trust him with yours._

He swallowed as he searched for the best way to gloss over the topic. “Then, after we broke up, I started dating this guy named Minghao. I’ll spare you the details, but I wasn’t in a good place at the time, and he eventually broke up with me. The breakup was really hard on me, and I just kind of spiraled into an even darker place. I did,” he sighed, “A lot of things I regret. And Jeonghan was there for me though all of it, even when I was at my worst. He tried to get me back on the right path and everything, and even though it didn’t really go as well as he’d hoped… he’s still there encouraging me to do better. That’s why I was so defensive over him.”

“But I guess I better address the elephant in the room,” Junhui added, biting his lip. “I kissed him because I was…” he shrugged, “Feeling lonely, kind of. I hadn’t felt… l-love in… so long, and I just…” He stopped there, realizing he was revealing way much more than he intended to. Somehow, Wonwoo had a way of pulling the truth out of him without even trying. “Sorry, I don’t know where I was going with that.”

“It’s... okay,” Wonwoo said quietly. “But you know that I,” he laid his head on Junhui’s shoulder, exhausted beyond belief from the stress of his panic attack. “I’m always here for you, too.”


	12. Chapter 12

Seoul

“Shit, I’m gonna be late!” Minghao cursed, frantically throwing the sheets off of him and jumping out of the bed. He dashed to the bathroom, completely ignoring Mingyu’s groggy complaints. With superhuman efficiency, he undressed and slipped into the shower, setting his stopwatch the second he turned on the water. He turned the faucet to its coldest setting and clenched his fists. “No hot showers, I bathe like a real man!” He screamed as the ice-cold water hit his back and furiously began lathering his hair with his favorite coconut shea butter shampoo, running one hand back and forth like a maniac. With the other hand, he grabbed his lavender body wash and scrubbed it over his skin with a loofah. “Feel the burn! I’m on my grind! Chasing dreams! No stopping on the road to SUCCESS!” He had to take a break from his pep talk to wash his face, but quickly resumed, “Three hundred sixty-five days, twenty-four seven! All day, nonstop! The grind! Never! Ends!”

 

He sprinted out of the shower, tracking water through the tiny bedroom, and ripped open the drawers of his dresser. “Underwear, underwear, underwear,” he mumbled to himself as he rummaged through the stacks of neatly folded clothes. Finally, he found his boxers and raised them over his head triumphantly. “Underwear!” He quickly put them on then moved to the drawer below, once again toppling the clothes he and Mingyu had worked so hard to fold the day before. “Undershirt!” he shouted as soon as he found one. “Shit, I forgot deodorant!” Minghao made his way to the bathroom again, careful not to slip on the small puddles he had created on the wooden floors. He picked up the can of aerosol deodorant and sprayed it haphazardly around his general underarm area, still managing to get some on his neck. “Deodorant!” 

 

Minghao checked his stopwatch just to make sure he was staying ahead of his personal record and threw on his undershirt and work pants. “Undershirt and pants!” He looked over at Mingyu, who was still fast asleep in bed. “Get up lazy ass! I’m already at the undershirt and pants stage, which means you need to get in the shower, like now!”

 

“ _ Sweetheart _ ,” Mingyu groaned as he stretched, feet hanging over the edge of the bed. “Do you know what fucking day of the week it is?”

 

“Friday!” Minghao zipped up his pants and grabbed his belt from off the floor. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide, and the belt dropped to the floor with a loud sound. “Holy shit, it’s Saturday…” he breathed.

 

Mingyu nodded. “I was going to tell you earlier, but I think your morning routine is cute, so I just let you go through with it.” He grinned widely, “So… What are you still doing over there? Come here.” Mingyu held his arms out for Minghao to lay down next to him. 

 

“I really hate you,” Minghao huffed as he crawled into bed, cuddling into Mingyu’s arms. “But now I’m already dressed and showered. Let’s go out and do something fun today.”

 

“This isn’t fun?” Mingyu pouted.

 

Minghao shook his head. “Not at all. Why don’t we go, I don’t know, walking around? Go sightseeing or something. There’s always something fun to do in Seoul.” 

 

Mingyu shrugged and let go of Minghao’s waist. “I guess you’ve got a point. But can’t I have another hour with you before I have to get up? It’s like seven in the morning,” he whined.

 

“Seven in the morning?” Minghao scoffed. “Seven days a week, I ball! You can’t stop the grind! I’m running towards my dreams! I give nothing less than,” he pointed a finger at Mingyu’s nose, “One hundred percent!”

 

“Will you stop it with the student athlete meme? It’s like every time I open my mouth you start preaching about ‘the grind.’ I feel like you’re the living embodiment of the fire emoji.” 

 

Minghao rolled his eyes and pressed a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek. “Sorry, it’s not my fault the grind never stops.” With expert agility, he jumped off of the bed and walked over to the closet to look for some casual clothes. He let out a deep breath once he felt Mingyu’s arms around his neck. 

 

“I would offer to help you take your pants off, but then we’d never get anywhere today,” he chuckled, resting his head on Minghao’s shoulder.

 

As much as he wanted to slap Mingyu, he decided just to let it go. “You’re disgusting.” He sighed, “Can you at least make yourself useful and hand me a shirt?”

 

Mingyu rubbed Minghao’s shoulders, working out some of the tight knots that had developed from stress and poor choice in sleeping positions. “You’re so tense. Are you sure you don’t just want to stay in and relax?”

 

“No, no, no. I know what’s going on here,” Minghao grunted, brushing Mingyu’s hands aside. “You don’t want to go out because you’re scared of what people are going to say about your hair. I told you not to go platinum blonde, but you did it anyway.” He pursed his lips and tugged at a strand of Mingyu’s newly dyed hair. “Now you’re stuck with it.”

 

“Hey,” Mingyu frowned. “It’s better than the time I dyed it orange!” He raised his hands and shook his head. “But fine, if you want to go out, I’ll go, just,” he ran a hand through his hair, “Let me shower and get ready.”

 

Minghao smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s better. Care to beat my record time of two minutes, twenty-one seconds?”

 

“No one will ever beat your record, Hao,” Mingyu giggled. “Can we go get some breakfast instead of eating Pop Tarts like we do  _ every day _ ? Pretty please?” He batted his long eyelashes at Minghao, knowing that it was his one weakness. 

 

“Only if you’re ready to go by 7:15.”

 

Mingyu kissed Minghao’s lips before running towards the bathroom. Unfortunately, he was unaware of the water that was on the floor and just barely avoided falling. Instead, he skidded onto the tile floor of the bathroom and ran into the bathtub, making a loud crash that caused Minghao to wince. “I’m okay!” he heard Mingyu yell.

 

“Dumbass!” Minghao retorted with a smile.  _ God, I love him so much.  _

 

***

 

Mingyu stopped in the middle of the street and bent over, catching his breath. “I should not have eaten all of those doughnuts. I ate, like, seven!”

 

“It was nine, I counted.”

 

“Well, I said ‘like seven’, and nine is pretty close to seven, so…” He gave Minghao a cheeky smile, pointy canines on full display. 

 

Minghao huffed and grabbed the taller man’s arm. “You’re blocking traffic, idiot. It’s not my fault you decided to eat so much.” He dragged Mingyu to the other side of the street like he was taking care of a small child.  _ A six-foot child. _ “Maybe it’s best if you keep holding my hand,” he sighed.

 

Mingyu smirked, “You just want to use that as an excuse to hold my hand, don’t you?” He ran his thumb across Minghao’s knuckles and smiled. “But I don’t mind.”

 

“Shut up.” Minghao mumbled something incoherent under his breath and lugged Mingyu down the street. Suddenly, he was yanked back by Mingyu’s hand, making him stumble. “Hey, what the fu-”

 

“Oh my God, Minghao! Look at it! It’s a hedgehog!” Mingyu pressed his face up against the pet store window and tapped at it lightly. “Hey there, little guy! You look like you could use a nice, loving home,” he turned around to stare Minghao down, “Right?”

 

The Chinese man shook his head vehemently. “No way in hell, Mingyu. We are not, under any circumstances, getting a pet. They poop, they pee, they need to be walked and fed-”

 

“But it’s a hedgehog!” Mingyu looked exasperated as he gestured to said hedgehog. “Just look at him! It’s not like a dog that you need to take out to exercise and stuff, it’s a little ball of… sharp thingys.” He bit his lip, realizing that that last bit made his argument sound slightly less convincing. “Oh, come on, Xiao Hao Hao!”

 

“Don’t call me that-”

 

“It’s cute!”

 

“So is a mountain lion. But you don’t pet it.”

 

“Was that a  _ High School Musical _ reference?”

 

“Maybe…” Minghao sucked in a deep breath and walked up to the window next to Mingyu. The hedgehog in question was rather small, even for a hedgehog, and was alone in a cage with a blanket, food, and some toys. “He… Is kind of cute.” Hesitantly, he waved at the hedgehog, stepping back when it stood up and crawled towards the glass.

 

Mingyu cooed, “Aww, he likes you! Maybe you’re like the hedgehog whisperer or something?”

 

“Where would we keep it?” Minghao sighed. “Are we even allowed to have pets in our apartment building?”

 

The Korean man tilted his head to the side and looked up in thought. “There was something about not having dogs or cats, but nothing against hedgehogs.”

 

“Yeah, ‘cause no sane person has a hedgehog for a pet,” he scoffed. His expression softened, though, as the hedgehog darted towards Minghao, only to crash against the glass. “Hey, he kinda reminds me of you,” he chuckled, poking Mingyu’s side.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“That’s my line.”

 

Mingyu pursed his lips and looked sideways at Minghao. “So can we get him?” He gave his boyfriend a small finger heart in hopes that, if his face alone wasn’t enough to persuade him, the display of affection just might be. “Can we? Can we? Can we?” he gasped.

 

“Get your ass in the store before I regret this,” Minghao relented.

 

Mingyu squealed, “Thank you! Thank you! Ahh, I’m so excited! Come on, Hao!” He scurried towards the door and held it open for Minghao. 

 

Minghao trudged through the door, shaking his head in disbelief. 

 

“Hey, how can I help you guys?” asked the girl behind the store’s counter. “You two looked pretty interested in that hedgehog,” she laughed.

 

“Yeah! Actually, I’d like to know how much he costs,” Mingyu asked. 

 

She tapped the glass screen in front of her and scrolled through the prices. “Hedgehog, hmm,” she mumbled. “Aha! Here we go! That’ll be 84,440 won.”

 

Minghao bit his lip and gave Mingyu a nervous side glance before looking back at the cashier. “D-does that include the cage and food?”

 

“Yes, that’s the price for the whole starter pack, which comes with the cage, a blanket, a week’s worth of food, a water dispenser, and a few things for the little guy to play with.” 

 

The Chinese man leaned over the counter and rested his chin on his fist. “84,000 won and it’s a deal.”

 

“Sir, the prices are non-negotiable,” the cashier said, looking slightly confused. “It’s 84,440 won for the hedgehog. You can buy it or you can not buy it.”

  
  


“Can you throw in an extra blanket?” Minghao pleaded. He tried his best to imitate Mingyu’s famous puppy eyes, though it didn’t seem to have quite the same effect.

 

The girl stared blankly at Minghao for a few moments before she rolled her eyes and reached under the counter, handing Minghao a light green flannel blanket. “So you’re taking the hedgehog?”

 

“Yes,” Minghao sighed, “We’re taking the hedgehog.” 

 

Mingyu pulled Minghao in for a tight embrace, swaying slightly. “Ooh, I know you’re gonna love him! Why don’t you pick his name? Something nice and… hedgehog-y.”

 

“Enrique.”

 

Mingyu stepped back and placed his hands on his hips. “Enrique? Of all the possible names, why Enrique?”

 

“You said I could pick the name, so I chose Enrique.” Minghao pouted. “Do you have a problem with it?”

 

“No…” Mingyu said, tone still unconvincing. “It’s definitely… interesting, though.” He shrugged and held both of Minghao’s hands in his. “But I’m sure it’ll grow on me. Just like you did.”

 

Minghao raised an eyebrow, not letting go of Mingyu’s hands. “That’s weird, because apparently you were crushing on me even when you were dating another guy. That doesn’t really sound like ‘growing on you’ to me, now does it?”

 

Mingyu mouthed a silent, “Fuck you,” towards his boyfriend before jogging over to the window where the hedgehog was. “You ready to become the newest member of the Kim-Xu family, Enrique?”

 

“Hey, my name should be first! I was the one that let you live with me in the first place! Plus, we’re not even married!”

 

“Yet!” Mingyu grinned as he picked up the cage, sticking his finger through the wire and tapping Enrique’s nose. “Looks like you’ve got some competition for cutest one in the house, now,” he giggled. 

 

The shorter man just scoffed. “Yeah, yeah. You don’t need to rub it in.” He looked back at the cashier and pursed his lips. “Is there anything in particular we need to keep in mind when raising a hedgehog? Like when does it do the spiky thing? How much and how often do we feed it? Is it even a boy, like we’re assuming? Does it need to get…” Minghao blushed faintly, “Y’know… fixed?”

 

“Um, I’m sorry,” the girl grimaced, “I don’t really know the answers to all of those questions. I’m just filling in for another employee while he’s on vacation in Canada, so I’d say that your best bet is to consult the Internet.” She gestured widely, raising her arms above her head. “It’s a reliable source of endless information, all available at your fingertips.”

 

“Are you trying to sell me the concept of the Internet?”

 

The cashier shrugged, “I managed to find a boyfriend online, so I’d say it’s pretty magical. Of course, he lives in Thailand and thinks I’m a wealthy heiress, but no one needs to know that.”

 

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” Minghao chuckled awkwardly. “So we’ll just… take the little guy home with us and try to figure out things as we go. Just like raising a kid, now that I think about it.”

 

“Yep, just go for it,” she smiled. “Well, best of luck to you two. Don’t let it die.”

 

Mingyu gasped dramatically and held the cage close to his chest. “I would never! Not sure about Minghao, but you can trust me to be a responsible parent.”

 

He was met by a quick kick to the shins, courtesy of Minghao. “Shut up.”

 

“Bye,” the cashier laughed, waving at them as they walked out of the door.

 

******

Minghao threw himself against the sofa and let out an angry groan. “Why did I agree to this again? Who deadass knew that hedgehogs are nocturnal?! It took me half an hour to get it to stop running around, let alone sleep! It’s Friday night. I got plans, homie.”

 

“It’s Saturday night, babe. Besides, what does it matter?” Mingyu frowned, removing the pillows so he could squeeze next to Minghao. “We have to accept Enrique no matter when he sleeps or how pokey his quills are. He’s our son,” he added firmly. 

 

Minghao felt a strange pang of sadness in his heart at the thought of them being a  _ family _ . He knew that Mingyu said loved him, but he also knew that Mingyu was impulsive and had the tendency to just say things without realizing the depth of his words. And while he appreciated the constant affection, he also knew that love and affection aren’t always exclusively mutual. “Then what are you and I?” Minghao asked, suddenly serious. 

 

Mingyu tilted his head sideways, taken aback slightly by the question. “Hao? I… I’m your boyfriend, right? D-did I do something to make you question that?” There was a slight edge of hurt in his voice that made Minghao feel guilty for even posing the question. 

 

“Ugh, no,” Minghao sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry. It was a stupid question. I was just being emo, I guess.”

 

“Hey, it’s not stupid if that’s how you really feel.” Mingyu placed a hand on Minghao’s shoulder and rubbed it gently. “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

 

Minghao closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.  _ Just ask him, idiot. You’ll never know if you don’t say anything.  _ “Do you love me?” he blurted out, exhaling deeply.

 

The look of confusion on Mingyu’s face only intensified. “What? I tell you I love you literally fifty-seven times a day.”

 

“I know, it’s just… You’re super touchy-feely, and I know that’s just how you are. I mean, your friend could lend you his copy of  _ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City _ and it would be normal and socially acceptable to say ‘I love you.’” His eyes fell from Mingyu’s gaze, “I know we’re dating, and I know it’s probably annoying of me to ask… but I want to know if you  _ love me _ love me.” He breathed in, “You get what I mean, yeah?”

 

Mingyu brushed his fingertips against Minghao’s cheek, stroking his thumb across the other’s cheekbone. “Xu Minghao. I live with you. I work with you. I sleep with you.” He giggled lightly, “I wake up with you. I give you kisses even when you have gross morning breath. I pick up your dirty socks that you throw on the floor when you get home from work because I know you’re tired. I’m team Iron Man, but I’d sit and watch every Captain America movie with you just to see you smile.” He pressed a soft kiss to Minghao’s cheek and whispered, “If I didn’t  _ love you  _ love you, I wouldn’t do any of those things.” Mingyu wrapped his arms around Minghao’s waist and pressed their foreheads together.  _ How did I get so lucky? _ Mingyu thought to himself. “You’re the sweetest thing in my life. Even when it’s too-early-for-this-shit o’ clock in the morning and you’re screaming about,” he gestured dramatically, “‘The Grind,’ I still wouldn’t trade my relationship with you for anything. Because I love you. I  _ love you _ love you,” he smiled.

 

“I  _ love you _ love you, too,” Minghao said, turning over so he could rest his head on Mingyu’s chest. “But do you… want t-to be with me forever? To try to make things work no matter what?” He nuzzled his head under Mingyu’s chin and hummed, “Am I the one you want?”

 

“‘Want’ isn’t the right word. When you want something, you can still survive without it.” Mingyu kissed the top of Minghao’s head and buried his nose in his hair. “I  _ need _ you. Y’know, like air, or water, or the Star Wars-shaped mac and cheese. Look,” he sighed, “I know I like to joke and play a lot, but I’m being serious when I tell you that you’re the love of my life, my Xiao Hao Hao.”

 

“Don’t call me tha-”

 

Mingyu froze on the spot and slapped a hand over Minghao’s mouth. “ _ Sweetheart, angel, love muffin. Kindly direct your attention to the window _ ,” he whispered between gritted teeth. He pointed a trembling finger at a large wasp on the glass pane. 

 

“I’m on it,” Minghao breathed, fixing the wasp with a murderous glare. Silently, he stalked over to the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboard under the sink for some wasp repellant. “Where could it be?” he muttered to himself, knocking over a few bottles of Windex in the process. “Could’a sworn it was here-”

 

“Minghao, it’s moving!” came Mingyu’s bloodcurdling screech from the living room.

 

Minghao tugged at his hair in frustration, wasp repellant still nowhere in sight. “Shit, I’m coming! I can’t find the wasp spray!”  _ This is now or never, Minghao. Life or death. Desperate times call for desperate measures.  _ Without thinking, he grabbed for the nearest can of Febreze and tiptoed back into the living room, holding the can like a gun. With animal-like stealth, he made his way to the window and closed one eye to perfect his aim. He pulled his hand on the trigger, releasing a steady stream of scented mist. Instantly, the wasp fell from the glass and landed on the windowsill on its back, legs dangling in the air. It tried to right itself but struggled to turn over, giving Minghao the perfect opportunity to strike. Again, he began his merciless assault on the insect, watching intently as it thrashed around in a last-ditch attempt to escape. The Febreze, however, proved to be a lethal weapon, suffocating the wasp with its ‘Happy Spring’ scented toxins. As the wasp took its dying breath, Minghao leaned in close, pointing the can at its face and sneered, “Tell your friends.” Satisfied with his kill, he whipped around to face Mingyu, chin raised with pride. “Mess with me, and you’ll meet the same fragrant fate,” he smirked, releasing one last spray into the air.

 

Mingyu just sat there with his jaw hanging open. “You have no idea how I’m both in love with you and very much turned on right now. Also, I’m not sure if I trust you around the hedgehog anymore...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so just a side note- from this point on, the story will go back and forth from Seoul (mingyu & friends) to Hong Kong (wonwoo & friends), so i'll say at the top where each chapter is taking place, just to avoid confusion. also, thank you x1000000 for all your reads, and comments, and kudos. it means the world to me <3\. i'm still finishing the story, so the updates will be irregular as i go back and work out some details. this story ended up going in a completely different direction as i planned, so i just have to make sure the stuff i wrote earlier up still lines up with the later stuff. sorry for the rambling, but i really, really love you all! thanks so much for all the love xxxx


	13. Chapter 13

 

Hong Kong

 

Wonwoo felt unusually self-conscious as he walked through the frosted glass doors that led inside 17 Karat. He knew that his outfit certainly didn’t help, either. The long Gucci fur coat with a sequin dragon embroidered on the back practically begged for attention on its own, not to mention the fact that his navy silk button-down shirt was only buttoned halfway. Thankfully, though, Junhui was dressed equally extravagantly, if not more so, deciding to leave his shirt completely unbuttoned. _In his defense, he makes it work…_ Wonwoo sighed to himself. _I couldn’t pull that off even if I tried._

 

“Come on, Wonwoo! Let’s get some drinks!” Junhui tugged at the sleeve of his coat and pulled him in the direction of the bar.

 

Wonwoo yanked his roommate’s hand away and shook his head. “You go ahead, I’ll catch up with you later,” Wonwoo said, not even wanting to entertain the idea of crossing through the mass of people on the dance floor just to get a drink.

 

“Aw, you’re no fun! What, scared you’ll get lost?” Junhui smirked.

 

“Yeah, that’s about right.” Wonwoo gave Junhui a small smile and waved his hand at him, “Don’t worry about me, go and have a good time. If you need me, I’ll probably be over at one of those tables upstairs watching the soccer game, because I’m a loser.”

 

Junhui cackled, poking a finger at Wonwoo’s exposed chest. “Can’t argue with that. Well, then I guess this is goodbye for now. If you see one of the BIGBANG members around here before I do, please be a dear and notify me as soon as humanly possible.”

 

“Will do,” Wonwoo nodded. He shuddered as he watched Junhui disappear into the crowd of young, rich socialites and heirs, all decked out in their most flashy clothing, just to prove- if anyone could possibly doubt it- that they had money. _Nope, not getting involved with that mess…_ Instead, he walked up the glass staircase that led to the second level balcony, which overlooked the bar and dance floor. He sighed a breath of relief, now that he was finally in relative peace, compared to downstairs at least, and leaned against the railing. However, that momentary relief was soon replaced by a sudden realization that he looked completely awkward standing in the corner by himself, dressed in a ridiculous fur coat. _Oh God, what do I do? What do I do? I look like an idiot, I’m totally sober, and I’m all alone…_ His eyes nervously scanned the area for a more suitable place for him to stand (or preferably, sit), but something caught his attention before he was able to locate a good hiding place. A few tables away from him, sitting alone with a mojito, was the most breathtaking human being Wonwoo had ever seen in his life. He had dainty features, a slender build, and a sweet smile that reminded Wonwoo of a kitten. Before Wonwoo even knew what he was doing, he sat down in the empty seat across him him.

 

“I’m so sorry, it’s just… Ugh, my roommate brought me here, and this was kinda the last thing I wanted to do today, but he convinced me somehow, and here I am wearing whatever the hell this is, and…” Wonwoo looked up, into the other man’s wide brown eyes, and cleared his throat nervously. “Wow, I am so… I didn’t mean to... “ He quickly stood up from his chair and placed his hand over his chest. “I’ll just-”

 

“N-no, don’t go!” the man stammered, holding a hand up. “I… I mean… Don’t feel like y-you have to go…”

 

Wonwoo paused for a moment before giving the other a wide smile. “Can I sit here, then?”

 

“I-if you want,” the other man replied shyly, swirling his drink. His voice was soft, calming even, and Wonwoo knew he could listen to it all day.

 

Wonwoo took a few precious seconds to observe the auburn-haired man in front of him. _He’s even more gorgeous up close. It’s like he’s a painting or something… How is he real?_ “I’m Wonwoo. Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out a hand for the other to shake.

 

“My name’s… J-Joshua.” Joshua’s cheeks flushed as soon as their hands touched, and he drifted his gaze downward. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

 

 _Finally a name to go with such a pretty face._ “Did you come here alone, Joshua?” Wonwoo asked, resting his cheek on his hand.

 

“No, I came here with my friend Hansol… I-it was his idea, I’m not much for clubs. I don’t really get the point, to be honest.” Joshua tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and looked up at Wonwoo tentatively. “W-what about you?”

 

Wonwoo laughed softly, “Same here. If it were up to me, I’d be at home in bed, watching soccer under my fuzzy blankets. But Jun hadn’t been out in a long time, and I didn’t want to be the one to ruin his fun. Clubs really aren’t my scene, though. I’m more of a coffee shop kind of guy.”

 

“Me too,” Joshua blushed. He tugged at the collar of his cable-knit sweater lightly. “Is it me, or is it really hot in here?”

 

“Um, I mean I’m wearing a huge fur coat, so I’m not really the one to ask,” Wonwoo chuckled. “But yeah, it is pretty hot.” _You’re pretty hot…_ “So, Joshua, what do you do for a living?”

 

Joshua sighed, “I’m an investor. I know, not the most fun job out there… Basically, I fund startups and other things like that. Lately, I’ve been working a lot with software and app design firms, which means my clients are mostly on the younger side. It’s a nice break from stuffy old guys.” He took a small sip of his drink, a slight blush still on his cheeks. “What do you do, Wonwoo?”

 

“I’m a medical student at University of Hong Kong.”

 

“Really?” Joshua breathed, “That’s so cool. What kind of doctor do you want to be?”

 

Wonwoo waved his hand nonchalantly. “Not really sure yet, but I’m thinking orthopedics. I used to be a soccer player in high school and college, so I can see myself working in sports medicine. I’d like to help injured athletes get back to doing what they love.”

 

“That’s so nice,” Joshua smiled. “You seem like you’d be a great doctor. It’s hard work, I bet.”

 

“Tell me about it.” Wonwoo groaned, “Medical school is the real-life equivalent of hell. The homework is insane, and the tests are impossible.” His frown softened. “But it’ll all be worth it in the end. You get out what you put in, so I always just try to do my best.”

 

Joshua closed his eyes and hummed in agreement. “I bet you’re stressed, then. C-can I get you something to drink? I feel bad being the only one with a drink here, u-unless y-you don’t want to drink… That’s fine, too…”

 

“I’m alright for now, but that’s very sweet of you.” Wonwoo tilted his head. “I don’t mean to seem rude, but I notice you have a bit of an accent. Where are you from?”

 

“I’ve lived all over, but I’m Korean. I was born in Los Angeles, then moved to Seoul when I was two, then went back to the U.S. for college, and now I live here in Hong Kong.”

 

Wonwoo’s eyes widened. “You’re Korean? So am I. I was born in Changwon, but moved to Seoul for high school, then came here for medical school.”

 

“That’s so weird,” Jisoo gasped to himself. He continued in Korean, “I-I mean, not weird in a bad way. It’s cool, definitely! It’s just…” He smiled sheepishly, “It’s nice to meet another Korean.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Joshua felt heat rising in the back of his neck as he realized just how _deep_ Wonwoo’s voice was. It wasn’t grating or unpleasant; it was warm and rich, yet cracked ever so slightly at the end of a sentence, just enough to make it endearing. “I know this might sound weird, but… I really like your voice. Y-you should sing, or at least do audiobooks or something.” _I could fall asleep peacefully just listening to you talk._

 

“You wouldn’t want to hear me sing,” Wonwoo chuckled. “Just take my word for it when I tell you my singing voice isn’t good. You, on the other hand,” he nodded towards Joshua, “Seem like the musician type. Your voice is really nice, and…” _Don’t say it, Wonwoo, For the love of all things good and pure, don’t-_ “So is your face.”

 

Joshua giggled sweetly, covering his mouth with his hand. “T-thank you, Wonwoo. I, uh… Think you’re v-very attractive yourself.” He took a large gulp of his drink, desperately needing something to calm down his nerves. _Very attractive yourself? Is that the best you can do? He is the finest specimen of male that God has ever created, and all you can say is that he’s ‘very attractive’?_ “Um, actually,” he tilted his glass from ride to side, “I have to be honest, you’re _the_ most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyed on.”

 

Even with the deafening beat of the music drowning out most sounds, Wonwoo’s laugh was perfectly clear in Joshua’s ear. Laughing made the taller man’s nose crinkle adorably, and made him seem more real behind that eerily perfect face. “Joshua,” Wonwoo smiled, eyes full of nothing but affection for the other, “Are you single?”

 

“As single as one can get. Seriously, all I do is work, then go home and watch _Friends_ . Hansol got me hooked on it.” Joshua’s blush deepened as he realized what Wonwoo was really trying to ask. _Is someone like him really interested in… me?_ “But, yeah,” he chuckled awkwardly, “I’m single…”

 

“Well! If it isn’t Romeo,” a shrill voice slurred behind Wonwoo’s back. He looked back to see Junhui (minus his shirt), with his arms wrapped around some other shirtless guy’s waist. “Baby? This is Tao. He’s hot,” Junhui smirked, gesturing at the man next to him. His eyes widened as he realized that Wonwoo was not alone at his table. “And who might this angel be?!” he all but screamed, rushing over to Joshua’s side

 

Joshua blushed, circling the rim of his drink with his finger. “I-I’m Joshua.” He extended his other hand to Junhui, which the taller man promptly took, kissing his knuckles.

 

“I’m Wen Junhui, the man of your dreams.”

 

Okay, that’s enough!” Wonwoo stood up and walked over to his roommate, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? I finally found a guy that’s actually pleasant to talk to, and you’re already scaring him off! I don’t understand how you expect me to get a boyfriend when you come on to every living creature you encounter! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a conversation to return to, and I assume you have other… business to attend to.” He turned his back sharply on Junhui and made his way back to Joshua.

 

“That is no way to talk to your elders, Won Swanson!” the Chinese man shouted, before scurrying off with Tao.

 

Joshua chuckled as Wonwoo returned to his seat, clutching his head in his hands. “Do you know him?”

 

“Oh, how I wish that were not the case.” Wonwoo groaned. “We share an apartment. He’s my roommate.”

 

The older man smiled in amusement. “Is he always like that?”

 

Wonwoo rested his head on his hand and sighed in exasperation. “Disgusting? Embarrassing? Completely inappropriate?” He looked Joshua straight in the eye. “He’s been like that since day one. I think I should be considered a saint after all I’ve had to put up with.”

 

“Well, actually, the canonization process requires more than just performing good deeds. Each candidate must be approved by a local church parish, then after much consideration, the case is presented to the Vatican, then they have to have performed at least two confirmed miracles, and…” Joshua paused, sensing the complete blankness in Wonwoo’s expression.

 

“What...?”

 

“What?”

 

Wonwoo laughed sheepishly. “You, uh, lost me there. Sorry.”

 

Joshua’s cheeks reddened profoundly, prompting him to bury his face in his sweater paws. “No, I’m sorry. Ugh, Hansol always told me I was socially awkward. I just wasn’t aware to what extent until now.”

 

“You know what,” Wonwoo smirked, moving his chair so that he could sit next to Joshua. “I think it’s cute.”

 

_Ew, you sound just like Jun._

 

“I-I… You t-think so?” Joshua stammered, obviously flustered by the flirtatious comment and the sudden intimacy between the two. “I-it’s just, I always seem to mess up every date I go on either because I’m too shy, or I say the wrong thing, or I start spouting out too many useless facts, or-”

 

Joshua was cut off by Wonwoo’s lips on his. He let out a small whimper at the realization of what was going on, but Wonwoo’s hand gently resting on his cheek disarmed him. He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. The entire club around him was pulsing with the beat of the music, and yet the only thing Joshua could hear was the pulse of his racing heartbeat in his ears. Wonwoo’s lips were soft and surprisingly gentle, a far cry from the strong lines of his collarbone that Joshua was now running his fingers across. The intoxicating combination of the scent of Wonwoo’s cologne and the touch of Wonwoo’s fingers in his hair (and, perhaps, the lack of oxygen to his blood) made him unbelievably dizzy.

 

“S-sorry,” Joshua gasped, eyes wide and unfocused. “I needed to breathe.”

 

Wonwoo chuckled and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of Joshua’s mouth. “It’s okay I think you’re cute.”

 

The shy smile that spread across Joshua’s face made Wonwoo’s heart skip a beat (or five). “I think you’re cute, too, Jeon Wonwoo.” Joshua giggled, “That even rhymed.”

 

“How would you feel if we went to get lunch tomorrow?” Wonwoo asked, still clueless as to where this newfound confidence was coming from.

 

“Amazing. Ecstatic. I would feel perfect,” Joshua beamed. “I-I mean, uh, I would love to have lunch with you tomorrow.” He reached into his pocket and fished out his phone. “Here, you can put in your contact and I'll text you so you have my number, too.”

 

Wonwoo’s fingers were like lightning, filling in his contact information. He even went so far as to take a selca for the profile picture. He tried desperately to hide that fact that his hands were shaking when he handed his new… boyfriend? Friend?... back his phone.

  
“Let's see,” Joshua began, inspecting the new contact. “Jeon Wonwoo, The Real Man of Your Dreams. I didn't realize your name was that long. Is it a family name?” Joshua deadpanned. He noticed the faint blush creeping across Wonwoo’s cheeks and laughed. “Hey, y-you know, if you had been as smooth to me as you think you were, I wouldn't have let you kiss me.” He lightly flicked the taller man’s forehead and smiled. “But I know, not so deep down, you're a huge dork, Jeon Wonwoo, _The Real Man of My Dreams.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm still not dead!!!!! i've just been crazy busy with class and everything and just *life*. also, i took a little breather and wrote another (shorter) fanfic, called a view to a kill (it's wonshua, what's new) if you want to check that out! i hope that i'll be able to update a little more frequently as soon as i finish that one, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks, i'll have another chapter or two for this one out. again, i'm so sorry for the wait. thank you all once more for all the support and those lovely comments. i mean it when i say they make my day <3
> 
> lots and lots and even more love,  
> hedgehogwatch


	14. Chapter 14

Wonwoo awoke the next morning to the feeling of a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his waist. These arms were strong and muscular, definitely not Jun’s skinny ones, which raised a number of red flags in his mind. His position on his side at the edge of the bed made him unable to see anything but the wall, much less the face of the person pressed to his back, but he didn't dare wake them.

 

“Jun,” whispered Wonwoo, desperately hoping the Chinese man was on the other side of the bed (and that he knew who this stranger in their bed was). Fortunately, Jun was a light sleeper, and even the slightest sound could rouse him from his slumber. 

 

“W-wha?” came the groggy reply. 

 

“Wen Junhui, there is a man in my bed holding on to me. Care to explain who it is?” he growled between gritted teeth.

 

Wonwoo heard a gasp from behind him. “Who the hell is that?”

 

“Jun, you dipshit. I can't see him, but I can't turn around or else I'll wake him up. Obviously it's someone you brought home last night.”

 

There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Junhui finally answered. “I-I honestly have never seen that man before. He's hot, though. Doesn't seem like the murderer type, either.”

 

“Well, I have to pee. How do you plan on getting him off me?”

 

“I don't know! Just keep hitting his arm until he wakes up!”

 

Wonwoo hissed, “That's a stupid idea, and you know it. Why don't you wake him up since, I don't know, you brought him here?”

 

“For the last time,  _ Jeon Wonwoo _ , I don't remember bringing anyone home!” Jun shouted, growing more irritated by the second. 

 

“How would you know? You were wasted beyond belief last night! You called me ‘Won Swanson’ in front of this really cute guy, and you weren't even half drunk at that point!” Wonwoo countered.

 

He froze in terror as the stranger began to stir. “S-Sehun? Sehun!” the man screamed, thrashing around rather violently, yet he was still very much asleep. 

 

Wonwoo took this opportunity to bolt out of the man’s grasp. He backed away quickly, panting heavily. “Oh my God, it's Tao!”

 

“Tao?” Jun looked at the man with no sign of recognition. “I have no idea who this ‘Tao’ is. But, damn son, I’d like to,” he added with a wink. 

 

“Tell that to Tao,” Wonwoo retorted, pursing his lips like the Conceited face meme.  _ What is it with me and the memes these past few days _ , he asked himself. “You two were making out and doing all kinds of gross shit last night. You even introduced him to me! But how did he end up coming home with us? I don't remember him being in the car.”

 

Jun shrugged nonchalantly. “You were probably drunk, too. Or high.”

 

“I don't do drugs, thank you very much. Unlike you, I prefer to stay on the right side of the law.”

 

“Oh, really?” Jun sneered, stalking over to Wonwoo. “What about last week when you  _ illegally _ downloaded all seven seasons of Parks and Recreation because you didn't feel like paying for it?” He jabbed a bony finger at Wonwoo’s chest to emphasize his point. “Sounds more like the left side of the law, doesn't it,  _ Saint Wonwoo _ ?”

 

Wonwoo scoffed, pushing Jun’s hand away. “As if. To become a saint you have to be referred by your local parish, then the case is sent to the Vatican. Plus, you have to have performed two confirmed miracles!”

 

“What?”

 

“What? Ugh, never mind,” Wonwoo groaned. “Point is, there is some guy from the club last night sleeping in our bed, and I need you to get him out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pee!” He stormed towards the bathroom and slammed the door. 

 

Jun let out a low chuckle at the spectacle his roommate caused. “Ah, Jeon Wonwoo. The pinnacle of teenage angst,” he he called out, loud enough for Wonwoo to head through closed doors. 

 

“I'm an adult!”

 

Junhui was about to form a clever response when Tao resumed his screaming. “SEHUN! SEHUUUUN!” In one movement, he threw the sheets off of himself and landed on the floor on all fours. If he was asleep before, he was surely awake now. “WHERE IS SEHUN?” 

 

“Dude! I have no idea who you are, or why you’re here, or who Sehun is, but let’s just calm down. Deep breaths, okay? Good?” Junhui raised his hands as though he was defending himself against a wild animal. (He prefered to think he looked like Chris Pratt in  _ Jurassic World _ ). “Wonwoo! We need backup!”

Wonwoo bolted out of the bathroom door and onto the scene. “Hey, Tao! Let’s chill for a minute. We’re going to figure everything out, I promise. Just please don’t hurt Junhui. He’s skinny and fragile.” He looked around the room in search for a good metaphor. “Like a pair of chopsticks,” he stated after seeing a random pair of chopsticks laying on the floor.  _ I don’t even want to know where those came from _ , Wonwoo told himself. 

 

Tao’s guard lowered as he assumed a less-threatening stance. “Did you kidnap me?” His eyes flickered around the room nervously as he backed away from the two roommates. 

 

“No, Tao. We didn’t kidnap you. Somehow you ended up going home from 17 Karat with  _ this _ guy over here,” Wonwoo sighed as he cast a pointed glare at Junhui. “But if you need to get back home soon, I’m sure Jun can take you to wherever you need to go.”

 

Jun looked scandalized. “Wha- Me? Why are you leaving this to me?”

 

“Because,” Wonwoo smirked, “I have a lunch date. And I’m not about to miss out on a shot at a relationship just because you couldn’t keep it in your pants last night. So have fun getting Goldilocks here home safely.”

 

Tao shook his head vehemently and crouched down, cradling his head in his hands. “Oh my God. I can’t believe this. Sehun is going to kill me!” His voice was calm and gentle, and now that he didn’t appear to pose a threat, Wonwoo could appreciate his sharp, yet delicate features. He thought Tao was quite handsome until he realized that he looked a little like Jun. That was enough to extinguish any potential sparks that could ignite between the two. “I bet he’s freaking out right now!”

 

“Who’s Sehun?” Junhui questioned, desperately hoping it wasn’t his boyfriend.

 

“Sehun is my boyfriend.” He paused. “A-at least, he used to be. I don’t know if he’ll want me around anymore after this,” Tao choked, raking his hands through his crimson hair. “Shit, he was s-so good to me, and I have to go and screw things up.”

 

Jun’s expression faltered as he saw the pain in Tao’s eyes. He felt his heart rate race as deeply-buried memories flooded to his consciousness. He remembered seeing his own reflection in the mirror the day that Minghao left.

 

_ Minghao. Damn, there’s not a day I don’t think about you. _

 

“H-hey Tao. Don't worry. I'll do whatever I can do get you back to Sehun. I…” Junhui let out a humorless chuckle, “I've been in your situation before, and I've been in Sehun’s, too. But you still love him, right?”

 

Tao’s eyes glistened with tears as he sat down at the end of the bed. “I love him more than anything. It's making me sick to think about how he must be feeling right now. I would never purposely cheat on him, I promise! I j-just,” he looked down at his hands in shame as the tears rolled down his cheeks, “The lights, and the music, and the alcohol…”

 

Junhui carefully reached to wipe the tears off of Tao’s face. “Tao. Hey. Come here.” He gestured to Tao with open arms, which the other man quickly accepted. “There we go, let's have some group healing. Wonwoo, get your ass over here in this hug!”

 

“Jun? Are you… on something?” Wonwoo asked incredulously. 

 

“No. Why?”

 

“Because you're actually showing… feelings. Other than, like, sexual urges.”

 

Junhui was scandalized. “Jeon Wonwoo, you make me out to be a monster. Now come join this group hug or I'll make you feel some feelings you'd rather not feel.  _ The feelings of pain, Wonwoo. Pain.”  _

 

“Well, you got me there,” the Korean man laughed, rushing to join in the embrace. “We're here for you, Tao. And we'll make sure Sehun realizes how insane he'd be to not take you back. That is, of course, if he doesn't take you right into his arms at the first sight of you.”

 

Tao buried his head in Wonwoo’s shoulder. “Thank you guys. I really mean it. I don't even know who you are or where I am, but you two have to be the nicest strangers I've ever met.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back from the grave! as you can see i've been avoiding this fic like the plague in order to work on some side projects, but i felt guilty for leaving y'all hanging. so here you go! enjoy! i missed this fic!
> 
> come yell at me for abandoning this for so long on tumblr @thesoapclub
> 
> loooooooove,  
> hedgehogwatch


	15. Chapter 15

Joshua’s face lit up when he saw Wonwoo making his way over to the table he was seated at. 

 

“Hi, Joshua. Sorry I'm late, my roommate and I had to take care of a… situation this morning.” 

 

Wonwoo looked like a living dream in a powered blue sweatshirt, white sneakers, and ripped skinny jeans, which instantly made Joshua’s cheeks turn as pink as the sweater he was wearing. “I-it's no problem, really. I haven't been waiting long.”

 

The younger man smiled, giving his date a quick peck on the cheek before taking his seat across from him. “I would have preferred you not to have had to wait at all.”

 

“No, really. It's fine! I'm just glad you're here.” Joshua rested his chin in his hands and beamed. 

 

_ His smile could make flowers grow _ , Wonwoo mused. “I'm glad I'm here, too. Have you been to this restaurant before?”

 

Love + Letter was a new fixture in the PoHo neighborhood, yet in its first four months since opening, it had quickly gained attention among Hong Kong’s young trendsetters. Its clean, minimalist design by interior decorator Lee Jihoon, with distressed wood floors and clear acrylic tables and chairs, accented by a white neon sign bearing the restaurant’s name, lent itself to an Instagram-worthy aesthetic. The food, masterfully prepared by head chef Kwon Soonyoung, was noted for its freshness and simplistic, yet artful style. Wonwoo had only eaten there a few times, but the quality of each visit was only exceeded the times before it. The chicken curry was to die for. 

 

“ _ Have  _ I been here? It’s like my second home!” Joshua gasped. “I’m good friends with Chef Soonyoung, so I always drop by when I’m in the area. Isn’t it beautiful?” He motioned at the restaurant, which was- surprisingly- completely empty, save for the two of them.

 

Wonwoo looked around, wondering where all of the customers were. Every single time he had dined at Love + Letter, there had been at least a thirty-minute wait just to get a table. How could it be empty on a Saturday? “Yeah, it is. But where is everyone? It’s normally crowded here.”

 

“I, uh, rented the place… Just for us,” Joshua smiled bashfully. “I told Soonyoung that I was bringing a date here, and he offered to let us have the place to ourselves. I-I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“Joshua, I-” Wonwoo reached out to hold Joshua’s hand from across the table, which was engulfed by his oversized sweater. “You’re really too sweet. I don’t know what to say.”

 

The older man closed his eyes, dark lashes fluttering against his flawless skin. “Say you want the spring rolls. They’re amazing.”

 

Wonwoo laughed, the most genuinely he had laughed in a while. “I’ll have whatever you recommend, then.” He leaned over to brush Joshua’s cheek with his knuckles. “Joshua, this is the most thoughtful thing anyone’s done for me in a long time. I really appreciate it.” He paused, realizing how quickly this relationship (was it even a relationship yet?) was progressing. He had only known Joshua for less than a day, and they were already acting as though they had been dating for months. It was no one’s fault, and to be honest, he couldn’t care less, but the last thing he wanted was for Joshua to feel rushed into anything he wasn’t prepared for. 

 

“What’s wrong, Wonwoo?” Joshua questioned, those beautiful eyes clouded with worry.

 

“I just…” Wonwoo sighed, trying to find the best way to phrase what he was aching to say. “We haven’t even known each other for twenty-four hours. I want to make sure you don’t feel like I’m pressuring you into pursuing a steady relationship if you’re not ready for one yet.”

 

Much to Wonwoo’s surprise, Joshua gave him a small, yet wistful grin. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

 

The question caught the younger man equally by surprise as he blinked a few times, trying to form a decent answer.  _ You look like the white guy blinking meme, Wonwoo. Keep your eyes open or closed- just pick one. _ “I-I guess I’ve never thought about it before. I d-don’t know.”

 

“That’s okay. I get it- it was a weird question. But what I’m trying to say is, you don’t need to worry about me. From the second I saw you last night, I just knew… You were the one. I want us to be together, only if you do, too. I know I seem a little naive, and maybe even a little weak, but I can handle myself, I promise.” Joshua placed his hand on top of Wonwoo’s and looked him directly in the eye. “Jeon Wonwoo, The Real Man of My Dreams, will you be my boyfriend?”

 

Wonwoo opened his mouth as if to reply, then realized that no words could do his feelings justice. He leaned across the table and pulled Joshua in for a tender kiss. As cliche as it seemed, time truly stopped in that moment. The only things that existed were Joshua’s soft lips that tasted like mint Chapstick, Joshua’s silken hair between his fingers, and Joshua’s otherworldly presence. Wonwoo didn’t even have to open his eyes to see Joshua’s beauty, to feel his tenderness, his kindness, his innate wisdom that captivated Wonwoo every second they were together.  _ This is love _ , Wonwoo thought as he pulled away to press a line of butterfly kisses to Joshua’s jawline. “Hong Joshua, I would be honored,” he whispered against his new boyfriend’s neck. 

 

“So, what can I get for you guy- OH!” came a voice from behind. The two quickly separated, blushing profusely. Wonwoo locked eyes with the stranger for an awkward moment before returning to his seat. “Heh,” the man laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn't mean to interrupt you two lovebirds.”

 

Joshua pouted and crossed his arms. “Lee Jihoon! We were having a moment!”

 

“Lee Jihoon?” Wonwoo asked, clearly puzzled. Lee Jihoon was the designer of the restaurant’s interior. What was he doing serving them? “I thought you were an interior decorator.”

 

Jihoon rolled his eyes and clenched his fists, looking suspiciously like that Arthur meme, especially in his yellow sweatshirt. “I thought I was, too. But when you're married to Kwon Soonyoung, you realize there's more to the job description than meets the eye.”

 

“Did I hear someone say Kwon Soonyoung?” called a voice coming from the direction of the kitchen.

 

Jihoon grimaced as he heard footsteps pounding in the distance, and he visibly flinched when the kitchen door swung open wildly. 

 

“Say my name, baby!” shouted a platinum blonde-haired man in a chef’s uniform. 

 

“Here come dat boi,” Jihoon groaned. It was obviously not the first time he had to recite these lines, Wonwoo noted. “The man, the myth, the legend- and his name is Iron Chef Kwon Soonyoung.”

 

Soonyoung rushed over to his husband’s side, wrapping his arms around his waist. “The sound of your voice is like angels singing from the heavens,” he sighed dreamily before smiling at the two customers. “Hey Jiso-OH!” he paused suddenly, noticing the death glare Joshua was casting him. “I meant Joshua!” he recovered. “Hey Joshua! And is this your date?” he grinned devilishly. 

 

“This is Jeon Wonwoo. A-and he’s… Oh my gosh, he’s my boyfriend!” Joshua giggled, causing Wonwoo’s heart to temporarily stop functioning. 

 

Wonwoo felt the pain of Jihoon’s stare on him as he nervously waved. “Y-yeah, I’m Jeon Wonwoo. N-nice to meet you.” He hadn’t realized it before but, wow, Jihoon was short. The fact that he was standing next to Soonyoung, who seemed to be about 5’10” or so, only emphasized the extreme height difference between the two. There was no way Jihoon was taller than 5’5”, Wonwoo deduced. 

 

He didn’t have time to think of anything else as, suddenly, Jihoon’s pointer finger was stabbing his nose. “I know what you’re thinking, kid. And do you want to know what I’m thinking?” Jihoon lowered his voice to a deadly whisper. “I may be short, but that only means that my rage is at a higher concentration than the average person. In other words, if you so much as think about your angel of a boyfriend in the wrong way, I will personally see to it that you disappear off the face of this planet. Have I made myself clear, Jeon Wonwoo?”

 

“Crystal,” Wonwoo breathed, visibly shaking. 

 

“Hey, Jihoon! You’re going to scare him off!” Soonyoung scolded. 

 

The shorter man gestured to Wonwoo. “He’s hot! And the hot ones are always the ones to watch out for! We can’t allow our child to undergo emotional trauma at such a young age! He’s fragile and precious, Soonyoung.”

 

Joshua cleared his throat, obviously displeased at the chain of events that was unfolding. “Do I have to remind you two that I’m a year older than both of you? In fact, I’m the oldest one here, so I deserve the most respect! The customer service at this restaurant sucks! We haven’t even ordered drinks, and my boyfriend is already getting threatened by the staff!”

 

“It's ok, babe,” Wonwoo chuckled. He turned to Soonyoung and Jihoon. “I think he means he wants the spring rolls. To drink, I'll have a water, if that's okay. And you?” he asked Joshua. 

 

“I'll have a water as well.” He looked at Jihoon with pleading eyes. “See how polite he is? Honestly, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

Jihoon grunted, eyeing Wonwoo suspiciously. “We’ll see about that,” he mumbled under his breath. “So two waters and an order of spring rolls?”

 

Wonwoo nodded. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Go get your butt in the kitchen, honey. We have some cooking… and conspiring to do.” Jihoon slapped his husband’s arm before running to the kitchen at lightning speed, Soonyoung hot on his trail. 

 

Joshua watched them with a fond expression and sighed. “You would never guess that Soonyoung's a celebrity chef and Jihoon owns one of Hong Kong’s most famous design firms. They drive me crazy and push me to the brink of insanity, but I wouldn't have it any other way.” He laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. 

 

“What’s so funny?” Wonwoo smirked. 

 

“I'm sorry about Jihoon,” Joshua said between laughs. “He's a little… intense. He means well, though. According to Soonyoung, he came all the way to China from Busan just to design this restaurant for him. Apparently, the two were around each other so often that they just decided to get married. But don't take my word for it- Soonyoung isn't exactly a pillar of honesty.”

 

The corners of Wonwoo’s lips turned up in a small smile (which Joshua may have been staring at a little too intensely). “That's sweet. You know what else is sweet?” he asked, voice dropping to a deep whisper. 

 

Joshua’s blush spread from his nose to the tips of his ears. “I-I don't know, what?”

 

“Ice cream!” 

 

“Oh,” whimpered Joshua, shoulders slumping in disappointment. 

 

Wonwoo chuckled and reached out to run his thumb across Joshua’s lower lip. “But most of all, you.”

 

Joshua looked up at his boyfriend through long lashes. “I t-think you're sweet, too. And I- uh… T-the eighteen or so hours I've known you have been the happiest eighteen or so hours in my life.” 

 

Out of nowhere, “My Heart Will Go On” began to play from the restaurant’s sound system, and muffled cackling could be heard from the kitchen. Wonwoo closed his eyes. “I know Soonyoung and Jihoon think this is funny, but I think it sets the mood quite nicely, don't you?”

 

“Indeed!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stale memes will never stop me. wonshua rise. i will not abandon this ship! pls accept this humble trash.   
> gosh these boys move fast...
> 
> more to come soon...
> 
> love u,  
> hedgehogwatch


	16. Chapter 16

The rest of the meal was eaten accompanied by such classics as “Hero” (both the Enrique Iglesias and Mariah Carey songs), “I Want to Know What Love Is”, and “Careless Whisperer”, making it seem less like a romantic date and more like a scene out of a teen comedy. Wonwoo didn't mind a bit- he found Jihoon and Soonyoung’s antics endearing. Joshua, on the other hand, had truly been looking forward to a little alone time with his new boyfriend. He couldn't bear to let their first date end so…  _ unromantically.  _

 

“H-hey Wonwoo,” Joshua began, holding the door open for him as they exited the restaurant. “If it's okay with you, there's a little place I'd like to take you, since this is our first date.” 

 

Wonwoo kissed his boyfriend’s forehead as he walked alongside him. “Sure. I'm always up for an adventure.”

 

After a few minutes of walking, Joshua led Wonwoo to a rather nondescript door located on one of the side streets deviating from Pound Lane, one of PoHo’s main arteries. “After you,” he smiled, once again holding the door for the taller man. Inside lay only white walls and a flight of stairs.

 

“You're n-not going to kidnap me or murder me, right,” Wonwoo stammered, more than a little unnerved by Joshua’s choice of ‘romantic locations’. “Because, I’m not going to lie, this seems sort of sketchy.”

 

Joshua’s laugh instantly put Wonwoo at ease. “No, but you've got to trust me. T-that’s what boyfriends do,” he added, voice notably weaker. He held his hand out for Wonwoo to take and looked the other man straight in the eye. “Do you trust me, Wonwoo?”

 

“Yes, I do,” Wonwoo breathed, taking Joshua’s hand and lightly kissing his delicate fingers. 

 

“Then follow me!” He bolted up the staircase, his laugh echoing from the walls. 

 

The taller man waited for a few seconds, smiling warmly at Joshua’s excitement. He closed his eyes and took in the sound of his boyfriend’s laughter ringing through his ears. It was beautiful beyond belief, just like Joshua, and Wonwoo wondered how he ever got so lucky to even meet him. He remembered the first moment he laid eyes on the man, sitting alone at 17 Karat. Instantly, he felt his heart guiding him to Joshua’s side before his body could even process what was happening.  _ I guess it really was love at first sight, huh?  _

 

The trip up the staircase was agonizing, and seemed to be endless- there was nothing to break up the monotony of white. After about three flights of white walls and white painted metal stairs, Wonwoo was seriously considering just laying down where he was and forfeiting. 

 

“Come on, old man! What’s the use of all those muscles if you can’t even make it up a few stairs?” called a voice from the heavens.

 

Wonwoo groaned, breathing heavily. “A f-few stairs? This is like torture! Where does this even lead to?”

 

“Can’t tell you that! But I promise, it’s only a few more flights. We’re almost there! I think you’ll find that it’s worth the climb.”

 

“It better be!” Wonwoo cried as he resumed his trek up the cursed stairs.  _ If this is what hell is like, I’d better clean up my act _ . 

Finally, Wonwoo made it to the end of the stairs, which led to another white door. Joshua was leaning against it, giggling to himself. “You finally made it!”

 

Wonwoo looked around, trying to figure out where exactly ‘it’ was. “What am I supposed to be seeing? All I’m getting is white.”

 

Joshua shushed him and placed a hand on the door handle. “You’ll see. Follow me.” He opened the door to reveal a rooftop terrace that provided the most breathtaking view of Hong Kong Wonwoo had ever seen.  Wonwoo stood there, awestruck. “I told you it was worth it,” Joshua beamed. He gently took his boyfriend’s hand and led him to the ledge.

 

“T-this is beautiful, Joshua,” Wonwoo breathed. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an amber glow on the entire city. The mirrored panels of the skyscrapers only reflected it, bathing everything in sight in warmth. 

 

Joshua gazed out into the distance. “Isn’t it? I like to go here sometimes and just look at the city. Gives me some perspective- this life is so big and so beautiful. It would be a shame to not stop and appreciate it sometimes.” His breath hitched when he turned to look at Wonwoo, who was leaning on the low concrete safety barrier surrounding the ledge. The light shone on his jawline and cheekbones, illuminating the strong lines of his face and the soft lines of his lips, and at that moment, there was no question as to whether Joshua was in love. Wonwoo’s expression was wistful, and yet held a childlike innocence that melted Joshua’s heart. 

 

Despite his brooding exterior, Joshua could tell that Wonwoo was gentle at heart, so easily taken by the simple wonders in life. That was what attracted Joshua to him the most, not his unearthly good-looks or his expensive clothes. He could find a million of those men anywhere in Hong Kong, but Wonwoo had… something… that could not be duplicated, or even described. He could, however, describe the feeling he felt around him. And it was love. 

 

Before Joshua even realized what he was doing, he reached out to caress Wonwoo’s cheek. “Wonwoo… I-I know it’s too early for me to say this, and I don’t expect you to feel the same way,” he leaned in closer, lips barely brushing Wonwoo’s, “But I love you.” 

 

He froze for a few seconds and lowered his hand, bracing himself for Wonwoo’s inevitable rejection.

 

But all his fears were quelled as Wonwoo closed the space between them, lacing both of their hands together. This kiss held an unspoken passion, a dormant longing that had only just awoken. Wonwoo’s lips were like fire against his, burning with searing heat, but Joshua only responded with more fervor, pressing his body flush with Wonwoo’s. He let out a small whimper when Wonwoo bit at his bottom lip, and he reached up to cling desperately to the younger man’s sweatshirt as though he would fall should he let go. Wonwoo traced small circles on Joshua’s hips with his thumb as he kissed the corner of Joshua’s lips, trailing hot kisses up to the spot behind his ear. “I love you, too,” he breathed against the shell of Joshua’s ear. Joshua shivered and rested his head against Wonwoo’s shoulder, running his fingertips up his boyfriend’s back and noting the prominent lines of muscle. 

 

“I-I… W-Wonwoo…” Joshua was on the verge of tears. He truly hadn’t expected Wonwoo to love him back. He couldn’t ask that of him so soon. Yet some nagging feeling in the back of his brain told him that there was another reason he was crying. And it had more to do with guilt than anything. 

 

“Shh,” the taller man whispered, kissing the top of Joshua’s hair. “Just stay with me in this moment, yeah?”

 

Joshua nodded, a lone tear slipping down his cheek and onto Wonwoo’s sweatshirt. “Y-yeah.”

 

“I love you, Hong Joshua.”

 

He flinched at the mention of the name ‘Joshua’. “I l-love  _ you, _ Jeon Wonwoo, but,” he drew in a shaky breath. “I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you.”

 

Wonwoo stiffened. “W-what do you mean?”

 

“Do you know who Hong Jisoo is?”

 

“That's a weird question.” Wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. “Isn't he the son of that actor Hong Junho? I don't know anything about him other than that he's really shy or something. I do remember one of my old friends back in Seoul had a huge crush on him, though. Why do you want to know?”

 

Joshua closed his eyes and lowered his head. “I'm Hong Jisoo.” Tears began streaming down his cheeks as he took a step back from his boyfriend. “Wonwoo, I am so sorry I lied to you. It-its just… I’d been used so many times for my money and my fame, and I just-” He buried his head in his hands and sobbed. “I wanted you to love me for me, not because I'm Hong Junho’s kid."

 

“Baby,” Wonwoo whispered, embracing the shorter man in a gentle embrace. 

 

“I went by Joshua so I could just be… a normal person. But instead I just found myself in a lie that I just couldn't keep up any longer. I'm a liar, Wonwoo, and I understand if-if you want to break up… with me.”

 

Wonwoo stroked his boyfriend hair soothingly. “You know what I meant when I said I love you? I meant that I love  _ you _ , whether you're Joshua or Jisoo, famous or not. That doesn't change anything in my eyes. Except the fact that I should probably call you Jisoo now,” he chuckled, resting his chin on the top Jisoo’s head. 

 

“Y-yeah, that would be nice,” Jisoo sniffled. “S-so can we try this again?” he asked, sun glinting off his tear stained cheeks. 

 

“Try what again?”

 

Jisoo smiled and held Wonwoo’s hand. “I love you, Jeon Wonwoo.”

 

“And I love you, Hong  _ Jisoo. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah boi! wonshua has #sailed. these spicy bois move quickly- will it last???? i know bc i've already written it, but what do yooooou think?? vote now on ur phones! 
> 
> there's a lot (a lot) more to come, so stay tuned my homies... (and psst psst if ur into some more intense drama go check out my other series (diamonds are forever) and get ur murder mystery fix!)
> 
> looooove,  
> hedgehogwatch


	17. Chapter 17

The smell of cigarette smoke pervaded Wonwoo’s lungs as he opened the door to the balcony. Junhui was casually draped over the glass railing, moonlight defining his bare back muscles and highlighting the tension in his neck and shoulders. “Hey, how was your date?” Junhui mumbled before taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

 

“Good,” Wonwoo shrugged as he walked over to Junhui’s side. He mimicked the other’s posture and leaned against the panel, looking out over the city for the second time that day.  _ Everything seems so much colder at night,  _ he thought to himself. “How did everything go with Tao and his boyfriend?”

 

“Good.”

 

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and glanced over at the other man’s left hand, which was idly tapping at the glass. He knew Junhui was deflecting, which irritated him to no end. Junhui only smoked when he was anxious or depressed, but he had a habit of acting like everything was perfectly fine, either by employing extensive sarcasm or extreme indifference. But years of experience enabled Wonwoo to see through his act in an instant. “Where’s your shirt?”

 

Junhui flicked some of the ashes over the balcony and brought the cigarette to his lips once more. “I didn’t want it to smell like smoke.”

 

“I know you don’t like it,” Wonwoo sighed, nodding at the burning stick between the other’s fingers.

 

“Fuckin’ hate it,” Junhui chuckled bitterly. He rested his head on his free hand and turned to face the taller man. “But it does the trick, takes the edge off.”

 

The two just stood there in silence for a few seconds, breathing in the polluted night air, before Wonwoo noticed that Junhui had an earbud in his ear, the other dangling over his chest. He picked it up and placed it in his own ear, sighing when he heard the dreamy synths of “Somebody Else”. “Something must’ve gotten you depressed if you’re smoking and listening to The 1975 like an angsty teenage girl.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Junhui groaned, “I’m fine.” 

 

“Bullshit.” Wonwoo stared down Junhui, noting the faint remnants of black eyeliner on his lower lash line. “Did Tao’s boyfriend get mad at you or something?”

 

Junhui exhaled deeply, smoke leaving his lips and dissolving into the night. “No. I mean, Sehun was worried and a little upset, but most of all he was glad that Tao was safe. He said he appreciated that I took the time to explain the situation and apologize.”

 

“So what’s the problem, then?” Wonwoo frowned, growing impatient with Junhui’s refusal to just admit what was wrong.

 

The Chinese man placed the cigarette between his teeth and bit down. “Thinkin’ about my ex. Wish I’d had the decency to handle things like Tao did when I had the chance.” He shook his head and put on a forced smirk. “But I can’t do anything about it now, so it’s useless to sit around and sulk.”

 

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?” Wonwoo scoffed.

 

Junhui waved a hand dismissively and attempted to smile, sharp white teeth glinting in the light. “So ‘good’? That’s all you’ve got to say about your date?”

 

_ How very like you to just change the topic.  _ Wonwoo had never gotten the full story of Junhui’s ex, as Junhui never revealed anything other than the fact that ‘It was bad’ and that his name was something like Mingming. At least, Wonwoo was sure it started with ‘Ming.’  _ That makes two of us, _ he sighed internally. “It was nice. Jisoo’s really sweet. We had a good time.”

 

“I thought his name was Joshua.”

 

“It’s Jisoo.”

 

Junhui nodded, not wanting to pick a fight. “So what did you two do?”

 

Wonwoo could tell by the suggestive look in his eyes that he wouldn’t be satisfied with ‘We went to lunch.’ “We kissed.”

 

“And?”

 

“That’s it.”

 

Junhui clicked his tongue and took another drag, making a point to blow smoke directly in Wonwoo’s face. “Have I taught you nothing?” he laughed. “You’re telling me you didn’t even attempt to-”

 

“No.”

 

“And the kiss? Was it just like this?” Junhui leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Wonwoo’s lips, smirking at the blush that formed on the other’s cheeks.

 

Wonwoo took a deep breath and shook his head. “N-no, it was more than that.”

 

Junhui hooked a finger around the collar of Wonwoo’s shirt and pulled him close so that their chests were pressed together. “Like this?” he purred before capturing Wonwoo’s lips once more.  _ Why are you playing with him like this? He’s clearly in love with this ‘Jisoo’ guy. Stop using him for once.  _ But he decided that Wonwoo’s reaction would be a problem for ‘future Junhui’ and continued kissing him. 

 

Wonwoo could taste the smoke on Junhui’s lips, equally unpleasant and intoxicating. Before he could protest, though, Junhui pulled away, leaving Wonwoo shaky and breathless. He hit Wonwoo’s chest lightly and flashed one of his signature smiles. “I was just messing with you. I bet you gave pretty boy quite a show.”

 

“Jun?” Wonwoo let out a sharp exhale in disbelief. “I- We can’t do that.” He cast the shorter man a gauging look, hoping desperately that his actions were just a joke, and yet knowing deep down that there was some intention behind them. “I’m dating Jisoo, remember?” he laughed nervously.

 

“Oh, I see how it is,” Junhui drawled. “This is one of those pure and wholesome relationships. With  _ feelings, _ huh?” He pointed the cigarette at Wonwoo and raised an eyebrow. “You think he’s the one?”

 

Wonwoo ran a finger along the edge of the railing pensively. “Maybe. I’m just scared to start another serious relationship after…”

 

“Mingyu?” Junhui’s eyes met Wonwoo’s, sensing the pain that he evoked in the other. 

 

The Korean man breathed slowly and brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Yeah,” he whispered, clearly uncomfortable.

 

Junhui thought it was best to not press any further on the topic. As long as he withheld the Minghao story from Wonwoo, he allowed the other to keep the Mingyu story to himself. Judging by his reaction at the very mention of Mingyu’s name, he figured it was a sensitive subject. “That’s the thing about relationships. Once you get emotions involved, shit gets messy. That’s why I just stick to one-night stands. Quick high, easy fix, and no mess to clean up in the morning.” As self-assured as he tried to sound, Wonwoo could tell by the vacant look in his eyes that Junhui didn’t wholeheartedly mean it. 

 

“Leaves you feeling empty, though,” Wonwoo muttered under his breath. “I really do think that Jisoo’s different. I…” he gave Junhui a sheepish smile, “I think I love him.”

 

There was a brief pause before Junhui erupted into laughter. “That’s cute.”

 

Wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows, not entirely fond of the condescending tone of the other. “I’m serious. I-I’ve never felt this way about someone before. Not even Mingyu.”

 

“You’re a hopeless romantic, Wonwoo.” Junhui inspected his cigarette then, judging it was just about finished, threw it over the balcony railing dramatically. “I know what it’s like to get seduced by big brown eyes and a pretty smile, but let me tell you that love isn’t what it’s made out to be in the movies.” His expression darkened. “It can be an ugly, nasty thing that just makes you wanna die. At the very least, you’ll end up a cynic like me.” Wonwoo’s eyes were downcast, and his lips were drawn together in a tight line.  _ Why do you have to make this so hard for me, Wonwoo?  _ “Look,” Junhui relented, “I’m just looking out for you. You’ve only known this guy for a day.”

 

“What about love at first sight?” Wonwoo knew he looked and sounded completely ridiculous to someone like Junhui, who was obviously better versed in the ways of love than him. 

 

Junhui dodged the question, instead wrapping an arm around Wonwoo’s shoulder and pulling him to his side. “I’m happy for you two, if that’s what you were wondering.”  _ Wow, I’m such a great liar.  _ “You want to watch a movie?”

 

Wonwoo shrugged and rested his head on Junhui’s shoulder. “Yeah, sounds good. What movie?”

 

“Whatever you want to watch.” Junhui looked down at Wonwoo’s sleepy eyes and felt a warm sensation creeping up the back of his neck. “How about Pacific Rim?”

 

“I’m always down for Pacific Rim,” Wonwoo chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angst and more angst.  
> when will the angst end????? will it end??? 
> 
> sorry i've been dead for so long, but hopefully the next update shouldn't be too far away!
> 
> i love you all <3  
> hedgehogwatch

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic on AO3, so I'm just getting used to how things work in terms of format and stuff. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think.
> 
> Visit me on tumblr @thesoapclub!


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